Iraq crisis will be short, bear with price hikes - GMA

The Iraq crisis will be "short and temporary," President Arroyo said yesterday as she urged the public to bear with rising fuel prices for the time being.

"The coming weeks will call for sacrifice, fortitude and cooperation from all of us," Mrs. Arroyo said in a luncheon speech before the Management Association of the Philippines in Makati.

"I appeal to the transport sector to defer requests for a fare increase. The crisis will be short and temporary, and oil prices should return to pre-crisis levels quickly," she added. "In this critical time, I thank the transport sector for being Filipinos first and foremost before being representatives of any sector."

Bus firms have petitioned government regulators to allow them to raise fares after pump prices soared to an all-time high this week amid global expectation that the United States and its allies would attack Iraq shortly.

The Philippines imports most of its oil from the Middle East.

"Artificial pressures brought on by the crisis, not real supply-side shortages, cause the prices of crude to rise temporarily," Mrs. Arroyo said.

"A fare hike petition now may add to instability and social unrest. A fare hike is usually followed by increases in prices of basic commodities," she added.

Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II said government agencies have already drawn up emergency measures to ensure a steady supply of basic commodities and that prices remain stable in case a war in the Middle East erupts.

The National Price Coordinating Council, the government agency in charge of making sure that prices remain stable, convened yesterday to discuss the situation.

Roxas, who heads the council, said that "we are still hoping for the best, but we also want to ensure that there is no chaos if war happens."

Prices of basic goods "may be affected if transportation fare increases also lead to wage increases," Roxas said. "We do not really know up to how long or how far our manufacturers can absorb losses."

However, following the council meeting, Roxas said manufacturers have assured him that "they will do everything to hold price fluctuations at bay."

So far, vegetable prices remained unchanged despite the recent round of fuel price increases, Trade Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal said.

The National Food Authority reported at the meeting that it has a 30-day supply of rice, equivalent to about 775,000 metric tons. The country consumes an estimated 26,400 metric tons daily.

Officials fear a war between the US and Iraq might force thousands of Filipinos working in the Middle East to return home jobless.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman gave assurances that the government has the funds to provide them loans in case they want to set up small businesses.

Soliman said her agency has set aside a P100 million fund for the purpose.

There are at least 1.5 million Filipinos in the Middle East, almost a million in Saudi Arabia alone. Officials said emergency plans to evacuate Filipinos are in place.

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Despite the threat of war, hundreds Filipino workers continue to leave for the Middle East lured by the promise of better pay.

Over 2,000 Filipinos leave for work abroad each day, most of them in the Middle East.

Yesterday, the government warned those bound for the region to avoid using any American symbol that may be misunderstood as an open expression of support for a possible US-led war against Iraq.

Virgilio Angelo, chief of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, issued the warning as part of the government precautions brought about by the standoff.

He also cautioned Filipinos to avoid flights that would take them close to Iraq.

Officials fear that Muslim militants might launch attacks against American interests in the region if Washington takes military action against Baghdad.

Meanwhile, the standoff appears to be taking its toll on the physical and mental health of Filipinos in the region, labor officials said.

About 3,000 have sought medical treatment or counseling for the past four months, according to Department of Labor and Employment statistics. At least a thousand of them – all in Kuwait – sought counseling. – With Jose Rodel Clapano, Marianne Go, Rainier Allan Ronda, Mayen Jaymalin, Christina Mendez, Efren Danao, AFP