The Makati Business Club (MBC) said that the governmentโs declaration of a national energy emergency is an opportunity to force the country to hasten planned infrastructure programs such as cold storage facilities, port upgrades, among others, to bring down the cost of agricultural products.
“The need to utilize innovation and technology for a more efficient economy, e.g., utilizing empty returning trucks to backhaul other goods, resulting in almost halving the transportation cost. This could be institutionalized through a National Logistics Digital Backboneโa government-sanctioned platform where every delivery truck must report empty capacity, creating a ‘Grab for Logistics’ that lowers food prices permanently,” the Makati-based businesses said.
This is because the declaration can help mobilize resources, streamline responses, and bring into sharper focus longstanding structural issues in the countryโs energy sector.
Ultimately, MBC said the declaration should serve as a catalyst for deeper reforms that strengthen not only the countryโs energy security but also other aspects of the economy such as transportation, logistics, agriculture, and manufacturing, among others.
In the meantime, the MBC recognizes the importance of providing assistance to the affected sectors of society most impacted by the high prices, e.g. farmers, fishermen, and public utility drivers.
