Motorists got relief this week after pump prices posted a steep decline, reflecting a new pricing approach being enforced by the government under the national energy emergency.
The Department of Energy said the latest round of fuel price adjustments shows how authorities are now imposing a floor for rollbacks and a ceiling for increases, in an effort to keep pump price movements within limits during the emergency period.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the policy is meant to regulate the scale of price changes, not to take over the operations of oil companies. The DOE has also warned that firms that fail to apply at least the prescribed rollback could face possible criminal liability.
Lawmakers have also indicated support for the department’s authority to set boundaries on oil price adjustments while the emergency remains in effect.
Based on company advisories, diesel prices were reduced by P24.94 per liter, gasoline by P3.41 per liter, and kerosene by P2.00 per liter. The rollback brought diesel prices in some stations below the P100-per-liter mark.
For Wednesday, April 22, benchmark estimates showed gasoline prices varying by grade across Metro Manila stations. Gasoline with RON 97 or 100 was estimated to range from P79.59 to P104.49 per liter, with a common price of P94.69. RON 95 gasoline was projected at P73.59 to P104.39 per liter, with a common price of P84.69, while RON 91 was seen at P72.59 to P98.69 per liter, with a common price of P82.69.
Diesel prices were estimated at P80.06 to P111.76 per liter, with a common price of P98.46. Diesel Plus was projected to range from P95.26 to P146.76 per liter, with a common price of P111.86. Kerosene, meanwhile, was estimated at P147.35 to P163.69 per liter, with a common price of P152.60.
The latest price movement marks a notable shift in the government’s response to volatile fuel costs, as regulators take a more active role in limiting both increases and rollbacks under emergency powers.