A truckers’ group said it will implement a 30% increase in service rates amid rising fuel prices caused by the Middle East conflict.
Maria Zapata, president of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines Inc., told Balitanghali on Tuesday that the rate increase was decided when diesel prices hit P90 per liter.
Zapata said the group will hold a meeting with members to discuss the best approach for clients. “This is scary because the arrival of cargo might be delayed… The concerning part here is the food,” she said.
“It will cause an artificial displacement of people and workers again. There will be many complications if the government and private sector do not help each other.”
Diesel accounts for 50% of operational costs, which nearly doubled as prices soared above P100 per liter.
“We might be forced to ask clients for consideration to recover our fuel costs,” Zapata said. She urged the government to include truckers among groups receiving aid amid the fuel crisis.
Meanwhile, manufacturers of basic necessities and prime commodities have assured the government they can maintain current prices for at least 30 days, with some committing to hold prices for up to 60 days.
The assurance came during a meeting convened by Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque on Monday with 21 manufacturers producing essential goods such as canned sardines, bread, bottled water, instant noodles, coffee, canned meat, toilet soap, and candles.
For the next 30 days, prices are expected to remain stable for products including sardines brands Unipak, 555, Ligo, Lucky 7, Fresca, Morjon, Golden Town, and Mega; bread products Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal; bottled water Wilkins and Nature’s Spring; soaps Safeguard Pure White, Tide Bar Original Scent, and Green Cross Pure White; condiments Datu Puti soy sauce and vinegar, and Lorins patis; canned meat from CDO; and Liwanag candles. Some brands, including Lucky Me, Ho-Mi, Argentina, Lucky 7, 555, Swift Premium, Wow!, and Shanghai, committed to holding prices for up to 60 days, while Kopiko, Nescafé, San Mig Coffee 3-in-1, and Export candles pledged to maintain current prices for now.
“We recognize the financial strain faced by consumers while also acknowledging the cost pressures confronting manufacturers. Our priority remains to ensure fair and reasonable pricing. We thank our manufacturing partners for their commitment and shared concern for Filipino consumers,” Roque said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is studying a possible price cap on imported rice after reports that retail prices climbed to P58–P60 per kilo in some areas, above what officials consider reasonable.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said the agency is exploring legal options under the Price Act to regulate prices amid suspected profiteering. He noted that imported rice should ideally retail at P48–P50 per kilo.
“We see a profiteering angle here. I urge consumers not to accept excessively high prices for imported rice and to try negotiating because this is not the time for profiteering,” Tiu-Laurel said.
The DA is also monitoring reports that some traders are repacking imported rice as locally produced to justify higher prices and plans intensified market inspections with law enforcement and regulatory support.
More than four million farmers and fisherfolk will receive financial assistance from the DA next month and in May amid rising fuel prices, a DA official told the House Committee on Agriculture and Food on Tuesday.
Assistant Secretary U-Nichols Manalo briefed the committee, chaired by Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, that aid will come from the P10-billion Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP) and the DA’s P150-million Fuel Assistance Project (PAF).
He said 4,172,418 farmers and fishers will each receive P2,325 in May from the PAFFP. Farmers with intervention monitoring cards (IMC) will receive funds via digital transfers, while those without IMCs will get aid through organized caravans.
Additionally, 14,439 farmers will receive P5,000 each, and 15,669 fishers will receive P3,000 each from the PAF. Of the P150 million allocated for fuel assistance, only P50 million is currently available, with another P50 million “for later release.”
Manalo noted that the agriculture sector requires about 505 million liters of fuel annually, worth over P41 billion, highlighting its vulnerability to global oil price movements.
During the hearing, a National Food Authority official briefed the panel on rice and palay stocks. Enverga said he called the briefing on instructions from Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III to assess preparedness measures by the DA and other agencies to mitigate the impact of the Middle East conflict on the agricultural sector.
“Global tensions are already putting pressure on fuel prices, logistics, and supply of key agricultural inputs. These have direct consequences on food production, prices, and livelihoods of millions of Filipinos,” he said.
He added that the timing of the US-Israel war on Iran, sparking the oil crisis, is unfortunate as it coincides with harvest time for rice farmers and sugar producers. The DA has already started interventions to provide relief to farmers and fisherfolk.
