• CHERYL G. CRUZ
There will be mixed movement in the pump prices of petroleum products, effective today, April 28.
Diesel prices will have a double-digit rollback for the third straight week, this time by P12.94/L, while kerosene is also down by P15.71/L, oil companies said April 27.
Gasoline, meanwhile, will have a slight increase of P0.53 a liter, reflective of the continued volatility in global oil prices due to tensions in the Middle East.
The Department of Energy, meanwhile, said April 27 that the country still has sufficient fuel supply.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said that, as of April 24, the country has an average of 54 days’ worth of fuel supply.
Gasoline supply remained adequate for 53.01 days; diesel, 54.61 days; kerosene, 168.74 days; jet fuel, 70.83 days; fuel oil, 67.55 days; and liquified petroleum gas (LPG), 38.44 days, the DOE said in a Philippine News Agency report.
“These are good numbers. LPG is slowly increasing, especially since we have ordered already a consolidated order with some of our oil companies from a supplier in the U.S. So we have an order coming (in) May,” Garin was quoted as saying.
The DOE also said that all four diesel shipments secured under the government’s Emergency Energy Security Program have arrived, delivering a total of 178.33 million liters of diesel to help strengthen the country’s buffer amid continued global fuel volatility.
The first shipment of 142,531.23 barrels, or 22.66 million liters of diesel from Japan, arrived in Batangas March 26.
The second shipment, consisting of 329,650 barrels or 52.41 million liters, arrived in Subic.
The third shipment of 319,576 barrels, or 50.8 million liters, was also delivered to Subic, while the fourth shipment, consisting of 329,918 barrels, or 52.4 million liters, arrived in Davao City.
“The arrival of all four diesel shipments shows that the government is acting with urgency to protect the country’s fuel supply,” Garin said in the PNA report. “As the Middle East conflict continues, our priority is to ensure that the Philippines remains prepared, adequately supplied, and able to respond swiftly to developments that may affect fuel availability and market stability.” | CGC
