THE United Davao Delivery Riders Association (Uddra) has urged the national government to remove excise tax and value-added tax (VAT) on fuel, warning that rising prices are cutting into their daily earnings.
In a statement issued March 12, the group said its members now spend an additional P50 to P100 a day on fuel as pump prices continue to climb.
“Tungod sa pagsaka sa presyo sa tubil sa kasamtangan, mogasto kami og dugang P50 hangtod P100 matag adlaw ug posibleng modako pa kini sa mosunod nga mga adlaw samtang nagpadayon ang gera sa Middle East (With the current rise in fuel prices, we are spending an additional P50 to P100 per day, and this may increase further in the coming days as the war in the Middle East continues),” Uddra said in a statement on March 12, 2026.
The group said that the additional amount they are spending is already equivalent to one to two kilos of rice per day, or even one sack of rice per month. The group added that with the excise tax and VAT, along with the increasing fuel prices, the amount they bring home to their families would decrease. It further said that this does not even include the schemes imposed by the different companies they work for.
Uddra said that the current excise tax on fuel is set at P10 per liter under Republic Act No. 10963, otherwise known as the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Act, while the VAT on fuel is 12 percent. The group said that because of the Train Law, fuel prices in the country increased by P10 to P17 per liter.
The group then called on the national government to immediately remove the excise tax and VAT on petroleum products.
They also urged the City Government of Davao to provide assistance to their sector and other sectors that are severely affected by the ongoing fuel price hike.
With the continuing war involving the United States of America, Israel, and Iran, global prices for gasoline, diesel, and kerosene have been soaring.
Industry projections show that diesel may rise to P18 per liter and gasoline by P15 per liter by the third week of March.
The surge in prices came after the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key global shipping corridor located between Iran and Oman, was closed off because of the war conflict. The Strait is considered one of the most important export routes that connects the biggest Gulf oil producers to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
To recall, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that he is considering temporarily reducing or suspending excise taxes on petroleum products to lessen the impact of the soaring prices. RGP