Prepare Your Wallets: Gas Up P10.20/Liter, Diesel Up P24.25 Starting Today
If you thought fuel prices were already masakit sa bulsa, brace yourself — the Department of Energy just announced the biggest weekly price hike yet. Starting Tuesday, March 10, gasoline will go up by as much as P10.20 per liter, diesel by a staggering P24.25 per liter, and kerosene by a jaw-dropping P38.50 per liter.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin confirmed that oil companies have agreed to stagger the increases over several days to soften the blow. Shell leads the diesel hikes at P24.25, Total has the steepest gasoline increase at P10.20, and Caltex takes the kerosene crown at P38.50. Each company has its own schedule, with the biggest jumps hitting on March 10 and gradually tapering through mid-week.
This marks the eighth consecutive week of fuel price increases — a relentless streak driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict that has disrupted global oil supply chains and sent crude prices soaring past $100 a barrel. Filipino motorists were already feeling the pinch, and this latest round is expected to hit public transport operators and the agriculture sector especially hard.
The Palace, meanwhile, has signaled that President Marcos is set to formally request Congress for emergency powers to slash the excise tax on fuel. The move comes as the government scrambles to contain the economic fallout. Officials also warned that 54 gas stations caught prematurely hiking prices before the DOE announcement could face cancellation of their operating permits.
For everyday Filipinos, the message is clear: fill up your tanks now, budget wisely, and expect that the cost of nearly everything — from jeepney fares to groceries — will follow fuel prices upward in the coming weeks.
Source: The Manila Times
