Filipino consumers will need to allot additional budget for their fuel expenses if they will go on a Christmas holiday-shopping rush as gasoline and diesel prices will increase by P0.55 per liter this week.

Kerosene, which is the other fuel commodity in the weekly price adjustments, will also go up by P0.70 per liter, according to the pricing advisory sent by oil companies.

As of this writing, industry players that already sent notices on their price hikes effective Tuesday, Dec. 21, include Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, Cleanfuel, PetroGazz and Seaoil, while the rest of the industry players are anticipated to match their competitors’ pricing trends.

For Seaoil, it also announced that it will be implementing special discounts promo in at least 97 of its gasoline stations in Visayas and Mindanao from December 20-31. The discounts will amount to P4.00 per liter for gasoline and P2.00 per liter for diesel, which are in line with its “Kauban (Kasama) sa Pagbangon” undertaking for the calamity-battered communities.

This is the second week of cost upswings at the domestic pumps this December because of price escalation in the world market following demand hike projections after assessment of health experts that the threat of the Omicron variant had not been as menacing as thought it would have been.

In line with the latest cost adjustments, the Department of Energy (DOE) similarly declared price freeze in calamity-stricken areas in Visayas and Mindanao, following typhoon Odette’s pummeling last week.

The department said the "no cost adjustment" enforced in the typhoon-beaten domains had been done in collaboration with their respective local government unit’s declaration of state of calamity.

As of Sunday, Dec. 19, the DOE indicated that “price freeze on household liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene has already been in effect,” with the agency qualifying that “15 days following the state of calamity (SOC) declaration, prices shall remain at the prevailing levels on the date of the declaration.”

The energy department further noted if there are price rollbacks during the stipulated SOC period, then cost reductions will be allowed. However, if there will be price increases, oil companies are prevented from implementing them.

“Increases of any kind are prohibited during the 15-day period,” the DOE said, expounding that the policy is consistent with State mandate “to ensure continuous and adequate supply of petroleum products, especially in the face of calamities.”

The areas that already declared state of calamity over the weekend include those in Bohol, Butuan City, Cebu province, Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte, as well as Cebu City.

“We would like to remind all concerned stakeholders on the necessary implementation of the price freeze in areas that will be placed under SOC. We also ask the public to remain vigilant and to immediately report to the DOE non-compliance to the price freeze for the agency’s appropriate action,” the department stressed.

The DOE also underscored that it is “closely working will all industry players to ensure that oil facilities remain operational at all times.”