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 to take home after 12 to 15 hours on the road. Some drivers warned that they may cut trips or shorten their 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,” Valbuena said.

He urged Congress to grant emergency powers to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., suspend the fuel excise tax, provide a fuel subsidy, and approve a one-peso provisional fare increase. He also called for an investigation 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 said.

According to the Department of Transportation, some P3.5 billion in subsidies is available to help offset rising fuel costs for PUV drivers and commuters.

Some P1 billion will fund the Service Contracting Program which allows the agency to partner with bus operators and cooperatives to offer free rides on select routes. In previous iterations, the program served the EDSA Busway, accommodating up to 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 said it is finalizing the latest count of eligible beneficiaries in coordination with local government units. 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 and gasoline to farmers bringing their own containers, disrupting 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 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 said.

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 a 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.

In addition to soaring fuel costs, rising food prices have prompted the Department of Agriculture to intensify measures to protect low-income households, farmers and fisherfolk amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

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 the supply so food and farm inputs will be sufficient in anticipation of price shocks that may follow the current situation in the Middle East.”

The agency is also intensifying its market monitoring and preparing contingency plans. Rice prices are declining more slowly, while corn, flour, fish, vegetables and milk are rising faster, underscoring 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 up to two months, with targeted fuel subsidies immediately provided to affected sectors, including transport workers, farmers and fisherfolk.