UNDER THE MICROSCOPE With the bill granting the president emergency powers regarding the energy crisis already passed, the president should not just reduce the excise tax on fuels. Rather, he should totally remove it, even temporarily, to give the people some breathing space amid the tightening...
We have seen this pattern before. A crisis hits, and at first, people freeze. Then slowly, almost quietly, behavior starts to shift. What feels temporary begins to leave permanent marks. We saw it during the pandemic; we are seeing it again now with rising oil prices. The current oil shock is about...
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has authorized Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) to bypass standard customs delays for emergency fuel shipments to stabilize the nation’s energy supply amid worsening domestic crunch. In a statement on Monday, March 30, BIR Commissioner...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is facing mounting pressure to abandon its steady policy stance as domestic and foreign lenders warn that persistent supply shocks are beginning to seep into the broader economy. A growing chorus of economists expects the BSP to raise its benchmark interest...
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...
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it is working to plug gaps in its public utility vehicle (PUV) cash aid list, with more than 170,000 unlisted drivers being validated for possible inclusion in a special payout after Holy Week. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on...
Philippines’ most influential business coalitions pledged on Monday, March 30, to ramp up investments in renewable energy and implement aggressive conservation measures as the government scrambles to insulate the economy from the global oil shock triggered by escalating Middle East hostilities....
No national interest will be lost in case the Philippines engage in a joint oil and gas exploration with China, a Palace official said. This, as the Philippines and China have resumed high-level consultations with both sides exploring possible cooperation in oil and gas development alongside...
A bill seeking to classify gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products as basic necessities, making them under the government’s price control mechanism has been filed in the Senate. Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV filed Senate Bill No. 2011, saying the proposed law will address the gap in...
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is pushing for more government interventions to protect farmers and fishers from the mounting economic pressures caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Pangilinan warned that escalating tensions in the region are already contributing to rising...
ABOARD AIRFORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a U.S. oil blockade. “We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having...
Petron Corp., the Philippines’ sole oil refiner, has procured 2.48 million barrels of Russian crude oil to shore up the country’s fuel stocks following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the declaration of a state of national energy emergency. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock...
