MALACAÑANG said Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the government to ensure a stable fuel supply as rising crude prices threaten to increase transportation costs and prices of basic goods.
“Hindi natin ito mapasisinungalingan na tumataas ang presyo ng krudo at kaakibat nito ay may domino effect, na maari rin na magdulot ng pagtaas ng ibang mga presyo ng bilhin,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters in Ilocos Norte.
(We cannot deny that the price of crude oil is increasing and it has a domino effect, which can also cause other prices to increase.)
Marcos issued the directive amid surging fuel prices, which Castro attributed to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
“At kahit ganoon pa man ang nangyari, sinisiguro ng Pangulo, na dapat ang supply ng fuel sa ating bansa ay hindi mahihinto. Hindi pag-uusapan ang presyo. Ang pag-uusapan dapat ay ang supply,” Castro said.
(And even if that happens, the President assures us that the supply of fuel in our country should not be interrupted. The focus should be on the supply, not the price.)
Citing Department of Energy data, Castro said the country’s oil supply inventory had increased from 30 days to 54 days.
Tax relief
Meanwhile, the government is considering possible fuel-excise tax relief after the DOE certified that the one-month average price of Dubai crude reached US$99.41 per barrel from Aug. 13 to Sept. 11.
The figure is above the US$80-per-barrel threshold under Republic Act No. 12316 for possible suspension or reduction of fuel excise taxes. The Development Budget Coordination Committee is expected to submit its recommendation to Marcos on Tuesday.
Castro also said the government was continuing assistance to affected sectors, including the transport industry. She said fuel subsidies had been raised from P10 to P12 per liter, allowing transport workers to save up to P1,800 per week. / PNA
