Top officials of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. have laid out contingency measures in case the war between Israeli forces and Hamas militant group escalates following a scenario building session held in Malacanang.
In a press briefing, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said that based on their discussion, the safety and well-being of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remain a priority of the administration.
“We have actually done several scenarios na ‘no with respect to this Israel-Hamas war. And actually, even World Bank has also done their calculations. Right now, the consensus is that it will be contained – that’s the general consensus,” Edillon said.
“But in the event that it escalates, again, very clear tayo sa priorities natin. Number one is to make sure that our OFWs there are safe, that we can bring them back safely. And then, number two, kaya pinag-uusapan na rin, kailangan natin ng mga energy conservation measures, beginning with those in government,” she said.
“So, if that’s the case, then mami-maintain natin na limited iyong magiging impact sa atin. But like I said, priority pa rin talaga natin iyong safety ng mga OFWs natin,” she emphasized.
President Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to intensify support to provinces less affected by the El Niño phenomenon to increase food production as the administration vowed continued assistance to the most vulnerable sectors even after inflation eased in October.