Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to create a government crisis committee amid tensions in the Middle East, saying the move aligns with earlier calls from the Senate to strengthen the country’s preparedness for major disruptions.
Earlier this month, the chamber adopted Senate Resolution No. 343, introduced by Cayetano, urging the Executive Branch to establish a National Contingency Framework and develop a comprehensive plan to guide the country’s response to large-scale crises.
The resolution pushed for urgent action, highlighting how global conflicts, particularly those affecting oil supply, can quickly translate into higher fuel prices, transport costs, and overall inflation in the Philippines.
With the need for a more coordinated approach becoming increasingly evident, senators subsequently adopted Senate Resolution No. 350, co-authored by Cayetano along with Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, proposing the creation of a Senate-led ad hoc committee to help advance the development of the national contingency plan.
The proposed body, to be known as the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis sTrategy (PROTECT), will be led by the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance and composed of the chairpersons of all standing committees of the Senate, and tasked to bring together inputs from various sectors while ensuring coordination across government.
The initiative is intended to complement efforts from the Executive Branch by taking an active role in the development of the national contingency plan, oversight, and ensuring that the framework moves forward in a coordinated and timely manner.
Cayetano emphasized that while government agencies often implement individual measures during crises, the absence of a single guiding framework can lead to gaps in coordination and timing.
“Nasusubukan ang ating pundasyon ‘pag merong kalamidad o sakuna… I don’t think there’s a problem that we expect the worst or prepare for the worst. Kung hindi, nandiyan y’ung contingency plan [to implement],” he said.
The creation of a Senate-led body is expected to help align national agencies, local governments, and the private sector, while ensuring that preparations for potential disruptions do not lose direction over time.
With Malacañang now moving to establish its own crisis committee, Cayetano said the effort reinforces the need to build stronger and more coordinated foundations across institutions so the country is better prepared when crises arise.
“Ang pundasyon ng isang bansa, ng isang bayan, ng isang senado, ng isang pamilya o ang pundasyon ng mga Pilipino ay napakahalaga,” he said. ###