Higher fuel prices greet motorists this 'ber' season
Filipinos are preparing for the festive season, but they'll also face higher fuel prices at the pumps. Starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, gasoline will increase by ₱0.70 per liter, while diesel is set to climb by ₱1 per liter. Kerosene will also jump by ₱0.70 per liter.
Major oil companies, including Seaoil, Shell Pilipinas, Caltex, CleanFuel, and PetroGazz, have already announced these price changes.
According to a report from ING Economics on Monday, geopolitical factors like the Ukraine-Russia conflict continue to influence fuel prices.
The report noted that Ukraine has been targeting Russian energy infrastructure, with claims of striking refineries in Krasnodar and Syzran. Throughout August, Ukrainian drone attacks led to a spike in Russia's domestic fuel prices and caused the government to extend a ban on gasoline exports.
ING Economics' analysis suggests that if these attacks escalate, Russia might export less refined fuel and more crude oil, which could push up the prices of refined products globally.
While the U.S. has imposed secondary tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, it has not done so for other major players like China. The U.S. has slapped India with a 25 percent tariff increase on its Russian oil purchases.
Despite some European leaders pushing for sanctions on Russian energy buyers, the European Union remains a significant customer for Russian natural gas.
Meanwhile, a separate issue is the planned increase in the biodiesel blend mandate. The mandate, which aims to reduce emissions by requiring coconut oil blending in diesel, is currently being reviewed for an upgrade to B4, or a four percent biodiesel blend.
This upgrade was originally set for Oct. 1, 2025, with a further increase to B5 (five percent) scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026. However, these dates were postponed by the National Biofuel Board (NBB) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) announced last week that they are now evaluating a resolution to push through with the B4 implementation by the first quarter of next year.