Christmas holiday relief: Fuel prices roll back this week
This week’s fuel price rollback will leave a few extra pesos for aguinaldos.
Effective Tuesday, Dec. 23, gasoline prices will go down by ₱0.80 per liter, while diesel will drop by ₱1.30 per liter.
Kerosene will post the biggest reduction among the three, declining by ₱1.60 per liter.
Oil companies such as Seaoil, Shell Pilipinas, Petro Gazz, and Caltex will implement these price changes starting at 6 a.m., while Cleanfuel will follow shortly after, at 8:01 a.m.
Last week, analysts attributed the price movements to potential easing of geopolitical tensions.
While no peace talks have been finalized, improved supply and slower demand have helped offset price spikes typically triggered by international conflicts, such as the war between Ukraine and Russia.
On top of this, several refineries that underwent maintenance work in recent weeks have returned to normal operations.
Additionally, Chinese refineries are seen to further increase production despite lower gasoline demand during winter.
While supply is expected to grow, ING Economics earlier cited concerns that sanctioned oil tankers could be blocked from entering and leaving the United States (US), potentially affecting 600,000 barrels per day of output.
Despite this, the Dutch financial giant said exports to the US are expected to continue, as the oil comes from Chevron, which still holds a government license to operate in Venezuela.