By Tracy Cabrera

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — With oil prices projected to increase due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Quezon governor Angelina Tan has ordered all provincial government offices to implement fuel conservation measures as a preemptive response to possible global supply disruptions amid tensions in the Middle East.

Tan signed Executive Order No. DHT-08 issued on Tuesday, instructing all provincial government offices to optimize the use of government vehicles by adopting vehicle pooling and proper trip scheduling to avoid duplicate travel.

The governor likewise ordered the prioritization of urgent and essential trips, assignment of vehicles based on passenger capacity to ensure maximum occupancy, and the use of virtual meetings whenever feasible.
Moreover, she mandated the reduction of non-essential travel and consolidation of field activities in order to minimize repeated trips to the same locations.

Tan also required regular preventive maintenance of government vehicles and equipment to ensure optimal fuel efficiency. Vehicles found to be mechanically inefficient will be grounded immediately pending repair.
The governor's directive covers all government-owned vehicles, heavy equipment and fuel-consuming machinery under the province’s departments, offices and units. However, essential services, including ambulance services, emergency response operations, disaster-related activities and other urgent or life-saving missions are exempted from the order.

In conclusion, Tan noted that the Philippines relies heavily on imported petroleum products and since it is inadvertently affected by fluctuations in global oil prices, rising fuel costs would surely pose as an additional financial burden.

“It is deemed proper by the PGQ that there is a need to adopt prudent, efficient, and sustainable measures to optimize fuel consumption, promote energy conservation, and ensure the continuous delivery of vital public services,” she ended saying.