Fuel surge hits transport, farm workers

Transport and agricultural workers are feeling the squeeze as fuel prices surge, cutting into incomes and threatening food production.

MANIBELA President Mar Valbuena said in a mobile message on Tuesday that jeepney drivers are losing nearly P300 per day, leaving only about P400 after 12 to 15 hours on the road. Some drivers are warning they may reduce trips or shorten operating hours to cope.

“The bigger the increase per liter of diesel, the more income we lose. We may limit trips, operate only during peak hours, or alternate schedules during off-peak times,” he said.

Thus, Valbuena urged Congress and the Senate to grant emergency powers to President Marcos Jr., suspend the Fuel Excise Tax, provide fuel subsidies, and approve a one-peso provisional fare increase. He also called for investigations into oil companies taking advantage of the situation. 

“Government agencies must respond quickly, or we risk a crisis of fewer operating public utility vehicles (PUVs) and further hardship for transport workers,” he added.

According to the Department of Transportation, about P3.5 billion in subsidies are ready to ease rising fuel costs for commuters and PUV drivers.

About P1 billion will fund the Service Contracting Program (SCP), which allows the agency to partner with bus operators and cooperatives to offer free rides on select routes. In previous runs, the program served the EDSA busway, reaching as many as 183,000 passengers daily.

The remaining P2.5 billion will support fuel subsidies for tricycle and other PUV drivers.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board already said it is finalizing the latest count of eligible beneficiaries in coordination with local governments. The last round of subsidies in 2023 reached 1.36 million drivers with one-time grants of up to P10,000.

Meanwhile, farmers and fisherfolk are also struggling.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) reported that some gasoline stations have refused to sell diesel or gasoline to farmers bringing their own containers, disrupting operations at the start of the planting season. 

“Will farmers be able to bring their tractors, or irrigation pumps, or their boats to the gas stations? Refusing to sell them fuel effectively cuts them off from production,” SINAG Chair Rosendo So said in a separate statement on Tuesday.

“This is unacceptable. Farmers and fisherfolk rely on diesel not only for transportation but for the very production of food. Denying them access to fuel effectively disrupts agricultural operations at the start of the planting season,” So added.

SINAG warned that fuel is a critical input across the agricultural value chain, powering tractors, irrigation pumps, harvesters, trucks, and motorized fishing boats.

The group urged the Department of Energy to clamp down on fuel retailers refusing to sell without valid justification and to monitor hoarding or speculative withholding.

“The government must recognize that fuel is not just a transport issue — it is a food security issue. Ensuring that farmers and fisherfolk have access to diesel and gasoline today is essential to ensuring that Filipinos have food on their tables tomorrow,” So said.

Aside from the spike fuel cost, the rising food prices have prompted the Department of Agriculture to step up measures to protect low-income households, farmers, and fisherfolk amid Middle East tensions.

Inflation for the poorest households rose to 2.5 percent in February 2026, driven by higher food and beverage costs, while overall food inflation climbed to 1.6 percent.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency is “taking steps to secure supply so food and farm inputs are sufficient in anticipation of price shocks that may follow the current situation in the Middle East.” 

The agency is also intensifying market monitoring and preparing contingency plans. Rice prices are falling more slowly, while corn, flour, fish, vegetables, and milk saw faster increases, highlighting the need to stabilize supply before global shocks reach local markets.

Under the government’s subsidy program, financial assistance will be automatically released if Dubai crude hits $80 to $90 per barrel for an average of up to two months, with targeted fuel subsidies immediately provided to affected sectors, including transport workers, farmers, and fisherfolk.