Major fuel firms are rolling out another round of steep price rises, marking the third consecutive week of big adjustments and prompting companies to split the increases across two days to soften immediate impact. Petron and Shell Pilipinas announced Monday that effective 6 a.m. Tuesday, gasoline will go up by P4.80 per liter, diesel by P7.80 per liter, and kerosene by P6.40 per liter. Then at 6 a.m. Wednesday, diesel will rise an additional P1.00 per liter, bringing the total weekly increase to P4.80 for gasoline, P8.80 for diesel, and P6.40 for kerosene. No further changes are scheduled for gasoline or kerosene on Wednesday. The Department of Energy has not yet released its official price guidance for this week.
Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas traced the upward trend to reduced vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical route carrying over 20 percent of global oil and gas exports, and lingering tensions between Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces that threaten Red Sea shipping and energy infrastructure. He noted the hikes could have been steeper if not for Saudi Arabia’s recent moves to restore export capacity and calm near-term supply concerns.
These latest increases follow last week’s rises of P5.68 per liter for gasoline, P4.31 for diesel, and P4.62 for kerosene. Over three weeks, cumulative increases now reach at least P15.17 per liter for gasoline, P18.29 for diesel, and P16.60 for kerosene. DOE data shows NCR prices from September 15 to 21 averaging P83.10 for RON 91 gasoline, P94.50 for diesel, and P124.50 for kerosene—sharply higher than rates before Middle East tensions escalated, when prices stood at roughly P53, P60.79, and P84.67 respectively in late February to early March. Sustained higher costs directly raise operating expenses for transport, delivery, and logistics firms, while households face heavier budgets for commuting, cooking fuel, and goods moved across the country.
