World News for Students of English

27-03-2026 15:00

The Philippines has declared a state of national energy emergency due to the conflict in the Middle East. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed an executive order because the country’s fuel supply is in imminent danger.

98% of the Philippines’ oil comes through the Persian Gulf, so the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused prices to double. This crisis is affecting everything from transportation to the price of food, such as rice. The government is taking strong measures to save energy, including a four-day working week for office employees and asking people to use stairs instead of lifts.

The new emergency powers allow the government to control how food is distributed and how people move around the country. While the government is providing some financial help, many bus drivers say it is not enough to cover their costs. There are also concerns that the government might use these new powers to stop public protests planned for later this week.

Difficult words: executive order (a special rule or law signed by a leader that must be followed immediately without waiting for a long discussion), imminent (coming or happening very soon), measure (a specific action that a person or a government takes to solve a problem or achieve a goal).

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