Gas Price Ceiling? Bam Aquino Wants Fuel Added to the PH Basic Goods List
Sen. Bam Aquino is pushing a new fix for the country’s fuel pain: put gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum products under government price control during emergencies. In Senate Bill 2011, he wants those fuels treated like basic necessities, not just as market commodities na bahala na sa presyo.
According to The Manila Times, Aquino said the proposal responds to a worsening oil crisis that is already squeezing Filipino households, workers, farmers, and small business owners. His argument is simple: fuel costs now hit almost everything, from pamasahe to food to basic goods on store shelves.
Right now, the Price Act covers liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene as basic necessities, but not gasoline and diesel. Aquino’s bill would close that gap, allowing authorities to impose a price ceiling on a wider range of petroleum products during periods of national emergency.
The measure also seeks to lengthen the allowable price-control period from 15 days to 30 days. That matters because short interventions can fade fast when price shocks stay elevated for weeks instead of just a few days.
Whether the bill gains enough traction is another fight, but the politics are clear: rising fuel prices are becoming too painful to ignore. Aquino is betting that direct price tools, plus aid for workers and small businesses, will sound more urgent to voters than another round of wait-and-see.
Source: The Manila Times
