The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced that it may evaluate a possible fare increase for public utility vehicles following a series of fuel price hikes this year.

LTFRB chairperson Vigor Mendoza II disclosed in a television interview that the board is responding to mounting complaints from drivers regarding lost income.

“Mathematically it is still doable,” Mendoza said. “Of course, what we will be checking is the passenger load and if it has decreased because of the number of roundtrips. That is what they have been complaining about.”

Mendoza cited that drivers who previously completed six roundtrips a day are now reporting only four, a claim he said the agency needs to validate before making a decision.

The announcement comes as diesel and kerosene prices rose Tuesday for the seventh time in 2026. The latest adjustment brings the total increase for diesel to P6.40 per liter since December 2025.

Despite the rising costs, Mendoza said the government is currently constrained from releasing fuel subsidies. Under current guidelines, subsidies are only triggered if the price of Dubai crude oil exceeds the $80-per-barrel threshold set by the government.

The last fare adjustment for public utility jeepneys occurred on 8 October 2023, when the LTFRB approved a P1 increase. That move set the minimum fare at P13 for traditional jeepneys and P15 for modern units.

In a separate statement, the Department of Energy said it is closely monitoring the global oil market to ensure domestic pricing remains fair and to determine if a future rollback is possible.