Gasoline prices finally get reprieve, diesel continues price spike
After 11 weeks of price spikes, gasoline will see no adjustment in its current prices, while diesel and kerosene will remain elevated moving into April.
Effective Tuesday, March 31, diesel will rise by ₱12.50 per liter, while kerosene will increase by ₱2 per liter. Seaoil, Shell Pilipinas, and Unioil are among the companies that announced these adjustments, which will take effect at 6 a.m.
The common price for gasoline in Metro Manila will remain in the range of around ₱86 to ₱111 per liter, while diesel is likely to move within the range of ₱117.50 to ₱152.50 per liter. Kerosene’s single-digit upward adjustment will likely push prices to ₱142 to ₱168.79 per liter.
Recent trading days have seen a slow de-escalation of the Middle East conflict, tempering the market’s fears of supply disruptions. This has stabilized gasoline prices; however, the continued rise in diesel costs remains a significant burden for users, particularly those in the public transport sector.
The Department of Energy (DOE) and private oil firms have been working to procure additional fuel supplies to mitigate the impact of tightening inventories. Ramon S. Ang-led Petron Corp. announced it has acquired approximately 2.48 million barrels of Russian crude oil, marking its first delivery from the country in five years.
The DOE also received 142,000 barrels of diesel last week and is set to receive an additional 900,000 barrels.
While the DOE has yet to provide updates on the country’s overall inventory status or on stations facing supply issues, it is coordinating with state-run Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) and PNOC Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) to secure two million barrels of additional supply.