Oil firms to implement scheduled hike on staggered basis
PETROLEUM firms have agreed to implement the scheduled oil price hike for this week on a staggered basis in a bid to cushion its effect on the affected sectors, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Monday, June 23, 2025.
The DOE said the staggered implementation was agreed upon during a meeting between officer-in-charge (OIC) Sharon Garin, undersecretary Alessandro Sales, and representatives of the fuel companies.
“Hindi naman namin madiktahan kasi wala na kasi sa puder ng DOE at kailangan i-check nila ang kanilang mga financials nila. This is really a request out of the goodness of their hearts. Hindi ito pwedeng maipose kasi it is a deregulated industry,” Garin said in an interview.
(We can’t really dictate it because it’s no longer under the jurisdiction of the DOE, and they need to check their own financials. This is really a request out of the goodness of their hearts. It can’t be imposed because it is a deregulated industry.)
“So ang proposal sana halimbawa kung may, kung (may P4) man ang increase, dahan-dahan lang sana at hindi biglaan na four pesos agad in one day,” she added.
(So the proposal, for example, is that if there’s a P4 increase, hopefully it can be gradual and not a sudden four-peso hike in just one day.)
Garin said oil firms are expected to release the breakdown of the staggered adjustments before 6 p.m. on Monday, June 23, 2025.
In a statement, the DOE OIC urged oil companies to increase the number of their retail stations offering fuel discounts to the transport sector.
Garin said they are set to meet with the departments of Transportation (DOTr) and Agriculture (DA) to discuss the rollout of subsidies for public drivers and farmers in case the average price of crude oil breaches $80 per barrel.
Crude oil is currently at $75.16 per barrel.
Earlier, based on the estimate of the DOE-Oil Industry Management Bureau, the cost of gasoline will increase by P2.50 to P3 per liter, diesel by P4.30 to P4.80 per liter, and kerosene by P4.25 to 4.40 per liter for this week. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)