Marcos launches Cavitex-C5 Link as House minority calls for clear action

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana and Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Reporters

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday inaugurated a road link connecting key corridors in Metro Manila, framing the project as a way to curb fuel consumption by easing congestion as higher global oil prices strain households and businesses.

The two‑kilometer Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex)-C5 Link Segment 3B is expected to cut travel time between Parañaque City and Taguig City to about 15 minutes from as long as 90 minutes, reducing stop‑and‑go traffic that increases fuel burn and vehicle operating costs.

“This will result in significant savings on gasoline and fuel,” Mr. Marcos told reporters in Filipino, according to a transcript released by the Presidential Palace.

The Philippines, a net oil importer, remains vulnerable to supply disruptions stemming from the Middle East war. Local fuel prices have been climbing since the war involving Iran erupted, with energy officials warning that elevated prices could persist.

The toll segment is expected to serve about 36,000 vehicles daily and divert traffic from secondary roads linking southern Metro Manila. To ease immediate cost pressures on motorists, the President said the entire CAVITEX network would remain toll‑free until the end of April, citing increased travel during Holy Week.

“There will be no toll here for the time being,” he said. “This is to give consideration to our fellow citizens using the road, especially with Holy Week underway and many people traveling.”

Mr. Marcos linked the project to his administration’s broader response to surging fuel costs under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport, or UPLIFT, which supports infrastructure and transport interventions aimed at softening external shocks.

Last week, the President placed the Philippines under a one‑year state of national energy emergency, issuing Executive Order No. 110 to address what his administration described as an “imminent danger” to fuel supply and economic stability. The order created an inter‑agency UPLIFT committee to coordinate energy, agriculture and transport responses.

Malacañang said the country is expecting the arrival of 1.04 million barrels of diesel this week to strengthen fuel buffers. The delivery follows efforts to diversify supply, including commitments from Indonesia on coal shipments and recent inflows of Russian crude.

Surging fuel prices have fed through to food and transport prices, intensifying inflationary pressures and weighing on economic growth. The peso has also weakened sharply, breaching the P60‑per‑dollar level after the conflict began.

To cushion vulnerable sectors, the government has rolled out fuel and cash subsidies for transport workers and low‑income households. Mr. Marcos also signed into law Republic Act No. 12316, granting him authority to cut or suspend fuel excise taxes, though Malacañang has said implementation remains under review.

‘NOT ENOUGH’
Meanwhile, members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives have floated proposals to help fund fuel subsidies as the Philippines entered its second week under a state of national energy emergency, arguing that more decisive action is needed to shield motorists and consumers from surging oil prices.

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Leila M. de Lima and Caloocan Rep. Edgar R. Erice said the Marcos administration should move beyond announcements and clarify how emergency powers will translate into concrete relief measures, even as Mr. Marcos last week signaled openness to cutting or suspending fuel excise taxes.

“The President really has to do that — it’s either to defer, suspend or cut the fuel excise tax,” she told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a Liberal Party event in Makati City last week. She added that the rising cost of fuel has become an added burden for households already struggling with higher food and transport expenses.

“With the looming energy crisis, more measures have to be adopted by the House, by Congress to help out the Executive,” she added.

Mr. Erice said the government has yet to clearly define the scope of the declared energy emergency, including what powers it unlocks and how it would be used to stabilize prices or supply.

“It’s not explained what that means,” he said in Filipino. “What are the benefits? It feels like it was declared because there was clamor, but it’s not clear what the government will actually do.”

Aside from UPLIFT, other measures include the possible use of Malampaya energy funds for fuel procurement, targeted subsidies, conservation policies and tighter market monitoring.

Ms. de Lima said subsidies for transport operators, fishermen and farmers should be expanded, arguing that support remains insufficient given persistent fuel inflation. “It’s not enough,” she said, adding that fare adjustments in the transport sector should strike a balance between cushioning drivers and protecting commuters.

She also renewed calls to revisit the Oil Deregulation law, which removed government control over fuel pricing and distribution. Ms. de Lima said re-examining the law could give the state more tools to manage price shocks driven by global markets.

“Many sectors are now calling for its re-examination,” she said. “Is it time to repeal, modify or amend the Oil Deregulation Law to address the current crisis?”

To offset potential revenue losses from fuel tax cuts, some economists have proposed imposing a wealth tax. Malacañang has said “nothing is off the table” but cautioned that such a measure would be difficult to implement.

Ms. de Lima said she supports taxing high net-income earners to help fund crisis responses, provided the framework is properly designed.

“We cannot be taxing those who are barely surviving,” she said. “If one will be filed, I will be supporting that.”

Mr. Erice was more skeptical, saying a wealth tax might yield limited revenue given the small number of billionaires in the country. “The tax base is too small for our country’s needs,” he said, questioning how much could realistically be raised.

As an alternative, Mr. Erice proposed a one-time “legalization fee” for undocumented foreign nationals, claiming tens of thousands of migrants may be willing to pay to regularize their status. He estimated such a scheme could generate trillions of pesos, though he offered no official data to support the numbers.

He also urged the administration to look beyond excise taxes and examine the 12% value-added tax on fuel, saying the government is getting higher-than-expected revenues as oil prices exceed initial assumptions.

With fuel costs continuing to ripple through inflation and transport fares, minority lawmakers said policy choices over the coming weeks would determine whether emergency powers result in tangible relief or remain largely symbolic.