Romer Butuyan 
UMANI ng suporta mula sa hanay ng economic managers ng bansa ang isinusulong na Kalinga bill bilang tugon ng pamahalaan sa fuel price shocks, supply disruptions at mabigat na epekto sa ekonomiya sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino.
Sa pagdinig ng House Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Energy Action and Development, o LEAD, na pinamahalaan ni House Committee on Ways and Means Chair at Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo, tinalakay ang House Bill 8834 na inihain sa Kamara nina Speaker Faustino Dy III at Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.
Layon ng panukalang Kalinga (Komprehensibong Alalay sa Livelihood, Inflation, Negosyo at Goods Assistance) bigyan ng solusyon ang paulit-ulit na epekto ng krisis sa mga maralita, tiyakin ang sapat na supply ng enerhiya, langis at pangunahing produkto, gayundin ang tulong sa mga sektor na lubos na apektado.
Ayon kay Dy at Marcos, ang Kalinga Act ay hindi lamang solusyon sa kasalukuyang global crisis bagkus ito ay magiging awtomatikong hakbang ng gobyerno sakaling mangyari ang kahalintulad na hamon sa hinaharap.
“The DBM supports the proposed KALINGA bill, which aims to address the national emergency caused by global market disruption from conflict in the Middle East, with energy security at risk and rising fuel prices affecting vulnerable communities,” wika ni Budget Secretary Rolando Toleda.
Sa bisa ng Kalinga Act, bibigyan ng limited emergency powers ang Pangulo para tiyakin ang lahat ng mga mahahalagang serbisyo ay gumagana ng maayos, mapoprotektahan ang kabuhayan, maitaguyod ang economic activity at mabilis na magamit ang government resources sa panahon ng krisis.
Maging si Finance Undersecretary Karlo Fermin Adriano ay sang-ayon sa panukalang batas na kanyang inihalintulad sa naging adhikain ng Bayanihan laws at naging sandigan ng pamahalaan noong panahon ng pandemya.
“The Department of Finance supports the KALINGA Act, which seeks to institutionalize a comprehensive national emergency response framework to mitigate economic instability, much like the Bayanihan laws served as a state shield during the COVID-19 pandemic,” ani Adriano.
“The bill would help shield the economy from the chain reaction caused by fuel-driven inflation and energy supply disruptions, especially among households and sectors with the least capacity to absorb higher costs,” dagdag niya.
“The KALINGA Act functions as a safeguard against the cascading effects of fuel-driven inflation and energy supply disruptions,” sabi pa ni Adriano kung saan masisiguro umano ang mabilis paghahatid ng tulong sa low-income families, farmers, at small businesses.
Kinatigan din ng Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Undersecretary Joseph Capuno ang naturang proposed measure dahil pinapalakas nito ang kakayahan ng Executive na makatugon sa panahon ng emergency.
“DEPDev generally supports the objectives and provisions of the draft bill, as we believe that it will fortify the executive’s authority and capacity to address the emergency situation,” paglalahad ni Capuno.
Dagdag niya, ang Kalinga Act ay nagpapatatag din sa ugnayan ng Executive at Kongreso upang matiyak ang maayos na pagtugon sa mga bawat hamon.
Sa panig ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), sinabi nitong suportado nito ang general objectives ng panukala kasabay nang paalala sa mga mambabatas na ang bawat emergency action ay dapat gabayan ng fiscal discipline, accountability at macroeconomic stability.
“The BSP generally supports the objectives of the KALINGA bill… [and] recognizes the bill’s intent to establish a coordinated whole-of-government framework that enables the timely and flexible deployment of policy measures in response to external shocks,” ani BSP Department of Economic Research Director Dennis Bautista.
“The BSP further acknowledges the policy objective of strengthening the government’s capacity to manage inflationary pressures and supply disruptions… in a manner that supports macroeconomic stability and protects consumer welfare,” dagdag niya.
