![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bworldonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/gas-station-worker-.jpg\" "\\"gas")
By Adrian H. Halili<\/strong> and Sheldeen Joy Talavera <\/strong><\/p>\n A Philippine senator on Wednesday urged the federal government to contemplate imposing a short lived price cap and fuel rationing as uncertainty over oil supply grows amid the escalating war involving Iran.<\/p>\n Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said soaring pump prices should prompt the Department of Energy (DoE) to review the possible imposition of a fuel price ceiling to shield consumers from further shocks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile a price cap would offer definite relief to consumers, the worth level set should still allow for an inexpensive rate of return for oil firms to make sure continuing supply,\u201d he said in a 76\u2011page preliminary report by the Senate Committee on Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT), which he heads.<\/p>\n The report also called on the DoE to evaluate the feasibility of placing price ceilings on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene, that are classified as basic necessities under Philippine law.<\/p>\n The recommendations come because the Marcos administration placed the country under a state of national energy emergency through Executive Order No. 110, citing risks to fuel supply and economic stability from global oil disruptions.<\/p>\n Mr. Gatchalian said the DoE also needs to evaluate whether a subsidy mechanism is required to cushion the impact of any price cap on oil firms, warning that poorly designed controls could discourage imports and worsen shortages if not paired with support measures.<\/p>\n Beyond price controls, the committee report beneficial fuel rationing as a contingency measure to increase existing supply and deter hoarding.<\/p>\n \u201cThe DoE should want to consider implementing a fuel rationing plan to increase the country\u2019s existing supply and stop hoarding,\u201d Mr. Gatchalian said, adding that rationing ought to be deployed only when supply availability has been rigorously assessed.<\/p>\n The DoE earlier said the Philippines has enough fuel inventory to last about 51 days, or until May 27, based on existing stock levels.<\/p>\n A 75.3% reduction in average every day demand for petroleum products would allow existing supplies to last until the top of the 12 months, in keeping with the Senate report.<\/p>\n In a worst\u2011case scenario where oil shipments stop, an 81.7% reduction in every day demand could stretch supplies until the top of 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile it might not yet be essential to impose such severe rationing under present circumstances, the DOE may consider a more modest rationing regime depending on the country\u2019s ability to secure future shipments of petroleum products,\u201d Mr. Gatchalian said.<\/p>\n He also urged the Marcos administration to accentuate government\u2011to\u2011government negotiations with alternative oil\u2011producing countries to secure fuel supply.<\/p>\n \u201cThe federal government should flex its diplomatic might and play a more lively role in securing the country\u2019s oil supply during this time of crisis,\u201d the senator added.<\/p>\n Domestic fuel prices have surged amid global oil volatility driven by tensions within the Middle East. The Philippines imports about 98% of its oil requirements, underscoring its vulnerability to external supply shocks.<\/p>\n ANTI\u2011HOARDING MEASURES<\/strong> In a press release, the agency said the principles cover each business hoarding by industry players and consumer hoarding, including excessive fuel purchases beyond normal consumption.<\/p>\n The rules set out stricter monitoring, prevention and enforcement mechanisms, including clearer definitions of prohibited acts and indicators of hoarding. Preventive measures include possible temporary purchase limits and tighter regulation of container\u2011based fuel transactions.<\/p>\n The DoE said show\u2011cause orders could be issued to parties suspected of violating the principles.<\/p>\n \u201cThese guidelines are supposed to make sure that petroleum products proceed to maneuver where they’re needed, after they are needed,\u201d Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said, adding that the measures aim to guard consumers and maintain public order amid global oil market disruptions.<\/p>\n In a related move, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said it has revised rules governing how power distributors get better local taxes, aiming to forestall excessive charges being passed on to consumers.<\/p>\n The revised rules make clear that distribution utilities may only get better taxes which have been actually paid, properly documented and incurred inside an outlined period. Utilities must submit full supporting documents and regular reports, with all recoveries subject to post\u2011validation by the ERC.<\/p>\n Any over\u2011collection have to be refunded, while under\u2011collection could also be adjusted in future billings, subject to approval, the regulator said.<\/p>\n \u201cThese revised rules make sure that consumers are charged just for taxes which can be valid, reasonable and properly verified,\u201d ERC Chairman Francisco Saturnino C. Juan said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A gas attendant is at work at a gasoline station in Manila on this file photo. \u2014 PHILIPPINE STAR\/NOEL PABALATE By Adrian H. Halili and Sheldeen Joy Talavera A Philippine senator on Wednesday urged the federal government to contemplate imposing a short lived price cap and fuel rationing as uncertainty over oil supply grows amid […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[2745,678,2667,5858,50264,30867],"class_list":["post-313576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","tag-calls","tag-cap","tag-oil","tag-price","tag-rationing","tag-senator"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313576"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":313578,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313576\/revisions\/313578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Individually, the DOE said it has issued guidelines to strengthen anti\u2011hoarding measures as rising fuel costs heighten risks of panic-buying and provide manipulation.<\/p>\n