Unabated rise in oil prices, including the next round that will take effect this week, has worsened the adverse economic effects of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to Filipino families.
Asst. Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas warned on Monday, June 28 that the next adjustment of oil prices will “further bury mothers and their families into debt” ahead of enrollment season for online summer classes.
She said this will spill over the already rising prices of food and basic goods and services.
Brosas aired these concerns shortly after the Unioil Philippines announced that hefty fuel price hikes are set again this week with diesel increasing by P0.70 to P0.80 per liter and gasoline by P1.00 to P1.10 per liter.
The partylist lawmaker said the nearly weekly hike in oil prices will trigger higher cost of basic services and other home expenditures.
She called for transparency from the oil companies by unbundling their fuel prices so the public can have access to the detailed breakdown of the changes.
"We urge big private oil firms to withdraw their opposition to the DOE's Circular No. DC2019-05-0008 or the Revised Guidelines for the Monitoring of Prices in the Sale of Petroleum Products by the Downstream Oil Industry in the Philippines so the government can make oil price rollbacks or hikes more transparent,” the opposition solon said.
Brosas "The Duterte government must insist on transparency through the DOE circular.”