It will be a financially-punishing drive at the petroleum stations, as the price of diesel will rise by as much as P3.50 per liter, while gasoline prices will climb by P2.10 per liter, effective Tuesday, August 1, according to the price adjustment advisories of the oil companies.
Additionally, the price of kerosene, which is an essential base for aviation fuel and also a prime commodity for households, will increase by P3.25 per liter.
As of this writing, the oil firms that already sent notices on their price hikes include Shell Pilipinas Corporation, Seaoil, Cleanfuel, Chevron and Phoenix Petroleum while their competitor-firms are all anticipated to follow.
After this round of adjustments, a monitoring report of the Department of Energy (DOE) has shown that price ranges of diesel products would already be at P53.45 to P70.73 per liter; while gasoline prices will hover at P57.10 to P81.17 per liter at various gasoline stations in Metro Manila.
For kerosene products, these will be retailed at P70.65 to P83.35 per liter, based on the calculations of the energy department.
The Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) index will be the anchor of the price increases that will be enforced by the oil firms; and that is a manifestation of price swings of fuel commodity trading in the regional market.
Given the varying prices offered at the domestic pumps, the DOE has been advising consumers to exercise their ‘power of choice’ when filling up their vehicles, as their prudency judgment could help them generate cost savings.
The industry players similarly indicated that the pinch on consumers’ pockets will not end with products at the pumps, but even the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will likewise be on uptick this August.
The renewed rally in prices in the world market had been mainly traced to the inventory buildup of key economies like China; as well as a possible rebound in economic prospects for the United States.
Price escalations often trigger new round of consumer grumbles in the Philippines, primarily for the public transport sector, but there are no signals yet for new round of financial subsidy that would be extended by the government.