APRIL 16, 2026 — Another fuel price rollback is on the horizon, with diesel possibly dropping by as much as ₱14–₱15 per liter next week, gasoline by ₱1.50–₱2.50, and kerosene also seeing cuts. Despite U.S. warships stationed at the Strait of Hormuz, global oil markets remain surprisingly calm, giving us a rare breather at the pumps.

Motorists across Metro Manila and beyond are bracing for another rollback, following the big-time cuts announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last April 14 — with diesel down by more than ₱20, gasoline by ₱4.43, and kerosene by ₱8.50. 

“Malaking tulong ito, lalo na sa ating mga driver, sa mga commuter, at sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino na araw-araw naapektuhan ng mataas na presyo ng krudo,” Marcos said. 

(This will be a big help, especially for our drivers, commuters, and every Filipino family affected daily by high fuel prices.)

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has already warned, though, that this relief may be short-lived. The Middle East ceasefire is fragile, and one missile strike or blockade escalation could send prices soaring again. 

“If one ship was hit, then the market also reacts. The price will increase in the international market. Whatever happens in the international market is reflected in our prices the following week. So that’s the danger,” Garin explained.

The geopolitics behind your gas tank

The Strait of Hormuz carries 20% of global oil and gas supplies. With Trump threatening to blockade “any and all ships,” the Philippines remains vulnerable. Our oil industry, as Garin bluntly put it, is “at the mercy of the United States of America.”

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) is scrambling to secure shipments:

• 300,000 barrels of diesel arriving this week in Davao
• Another 300,000 barrels from Oman via Singapore by end-April
• 22,000 metric tons of LPG scheduled for May, with larger shipments from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico soon after

Yet even here, bureaucracy bites. Regasco president Arnel Ty revealed that the Bureau of Customs continues to collect excise taxes on LPG despite President Marcos’ suspension order. 

“The BOC still didn’t receive the executive order from Malacañang,” Ty said, forcing firms to absorb the ₱3-per-kilo tax.

The politics of transparency

The DOE has demanded unbundled pump pricing reports from oil firms, but compliance remains murky. Consumer groups suspect profiteering, and without full transparency, we are left guessing whether rollbacks truly reflect global trends or corporate margins. 

Garin hinted at requiring weekly disclosures, but the deadline has already lapsed.

For jeepney drivers, tricycle operators, and delivery riders, every peso shaved off fuel costs is survival. The government’s ₱10-per-liter fuel subsidy for PUV drivers is being enforced with police presence at gas stations, underscoring how volatile and politically sensitive fuel pricing has become.

But while rollbacks sound sweet, they don’t erase the fact that transport fares, food prices, and electricity bills remain high. Relief at the pump doesn’t always trickle down fast enough to the palengke or sari-sari store.

Thus, we are still caught in the crossfire of geopolitics, bureaucracy, and corporate interests. Yes, another rollback is coming — but it’s a fragile reprieve, not a permanent fix.

How do you really feel about celebrating fuel rollbacks when the next global shock could wipe them out overnight?

(Image: Philippine News Agency)