Senate launches RISE panel, pledges reforms to cut business costs

October 29, 2026

The Senate is preparing reforms to lower electricity and logistics costs, speed up government approvals, and crack down on illicit trade as it seeks to revive Philippine industry and reverse manufacturing’s shrinking contribution to the economy.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the Senate’s newly convened RISE ad hoc committee would examine measures to help businesses recover, strengthen domestic production, and better withstand external shocks.
“We must make it cheaper and easier to produce in the Philippines,” Gatchalian said at the Federation of Philippine Industries Business Summit.
On electricity, the Senate will push for the effective implementation of retail competition and open access, which allows eligible businesses to choose their power suppliers and negotiate rates.
Gatchalian also said lawmakers would press the Energy Regulatory Commission to audit fuel costs passed on through generation charges and scrutinize financing rates used to determine transmission and distribution charges.
On logistics, he committed to advancing the proposed Master Plan for Infrastructure and National Development, which seeks to establish a 30-year roadmap linking roads, airports, seaports, and logistics networks beyond individual administrations.
The Senate will also push government agencies to process permits, licenses, and approvals faster, with agency heads facing greater accountability for persistent delays. Gatchalian likewise cited the need for oversight of abusive tax audits that burden legitimate businesses.
Enforcement against illicit trade is another priority. Gatchalian pointed to the gap between 1,296 seizures by the Bureau of Customs from 2018 to 2024 and just four convictions, arguing that enforcement must lead to successful prosecutions.
The reform agenda comes as manufacturing’s share of gross domestic product fell to 15.3% in 2025 from 19.9% in 2015, figures presented by Gatchalian showed.
The decline highlights the challenge facing policymakers as they seek to strengthen domestic production amid high operating costs and competition from imports.
The RISE committee is expected to examine policy and legislative measures addressing these constraints, with the stated goal of making local industries more competitive and encouraging businesses to invest and expand in the Philippines.