EDITORIAL - Heroes in a national emergency

The nation marks Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor today while grappling with a national emergency that calls for everyday acts of heroism.

Unlike in the Battle of Bataan in 1942 and the ensuing Death March to Tarlac, Filipinos are not risking their lives to fight an enemy in this energy crisis. But livelihoods, jobs and the economy are at stake as the nation reels from unprecedented spikes in fuel prices.

Beyond dole-outs or ayuda, which is the default response of the government to every problem, service contracting for public utility vehicle drivers as well as free rides have been rolled out by the government and the private sector.

Other measures such as fuel tax breaks, however, will probably be implemented only when the war is over, and may look insignificant compared to the amounts to which pump prices have soared.

The jump in fuel prices and higher logistics costs pushed inflation to a 20-month high of 4.1 percent in March. The fuel price leaps are also slowing down consumption, and have dampened travel during what should have been a peak tourism season, Holy Week.

People are wondering if oil companies and gas station operators can be heroes in this national energy emergency by tempering the rise in pump prices and avoiding hoarding.

Lawmakers aren’t waiting for such heroic acts. Instead they have initiated inquiries on whether the huge increases are justified. Where do you draw the line between sound business practices and opportunism in a crisis? Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police is assisting in preventing hoarding.

The community pantries have been revived by one of the heroines of the COVID pandemic, Ana Patricia Non, and picked up by other kindhearted souls. Among the beneficiaries are the PUV drivers and small-scale operators, who have been among the hardest hit by the fuel crunch.

Fisherfolk are also feeling the heavy impact of unimaginably costly fuel, while farmers are affected by the rising prices of fertilizer. They are waiting for some relief from exorbitant fuel prices.

In this national emergency, energy conservation can avert fuel shortages, apart from being good for the environment. People can be heroes, with any act that will mitigate the impact of this unprecedented emergency.