Local pump prices flirt with both hikes, rollbacks
A gas station attendant fills up a motorcycle in Quezon City on Tuesday, March 3. With Middle East tensions blocking the critical Strait of Hormuz, the government’s economic team is moving to grant President Marcos Jr. the power to reduce fuel taxes once Dubai crude exceeds $80 per barrel to protect Filipinos from a potential price surge.
Motorists may need to shop around for the oil companies offering the lowest price adjustments this week, as the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a wide range of price movements for the end of June.
Effective Tuesday, June 30, gasoline prices are expected to either decline by as much as ₱0.10 per liter or increase by up to ₱1.90 per liter. Meanwhile, diesel could fall by ₱1.16 per liter or rise by ₱0.84 per liter. Kerosene prices are also projected to decrease by up to ₱0.78 per liter or climb by as much as ₱1.22 per liter. Oil companies will determine their specific adjustments within these DOE-approved ranges.
Latest DOE data showed the country holding a 41.16-day average fuel supply, driven largely by a massive 212.41-day inventory of kerosene. Gasoline stands at about a 42.19-day supply, while diesel has about 37.66 days. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or cooking gas, has 35.75 days' worth of inventory.
The DOE clarified that it is not looking to procure more stock at the moment. However, the department is continuously working with the Maharlika Investment Corp. to complete the first stages of its strategic petroleum reserve project by next year.
“Amid the volatile and changing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that impact us deeply domestically, the Department of Energy continues to monitor the global oil market closely and ensure that we are leaving no stone unturned—in policy and regulation—to protect Filipino consumers,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said during a media briefing on Monday, June 29.