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Planning for the worst: Sen. Win Gatchalian, chairman of the Committee on Energy, presides over Tuesday, June 21, 2022 a hybrid consultative meeting discussing the effects of the prolonged Ukraine invasion on the downstream oil sector and possible solutions to address increasing fuel prices. According to Gatchalian, there is a need to plan for the worst in terms of increased domestic prices of diesel and gasoline as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate. At present, Gatchalian said, three proposed solutions are being floated to cushion the impact of high petroleum prices: the “Pantawid Pasada,” suspension of excise tax on fuel and increasing biofuel blend. “But basically, if this situation will be protracted for years, then we have to make sure that we have enough funds to sustain the ‘Pantawid Pasada’ and dispense Pantawid Pasada more efficiently so that our drivers will be protected from the elevated price of oil,” Gatchalian said. (Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB)