Fuel prices in the Philippines may no longer return to P60 per liter as structural damage from the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to affect global oil supply, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin said Sunday.

Garin said the volatility in oil markets remains, with damage to key facilities expected to take time to repair even if tensions ease.

“If the war lasts only two weeks, prices may go down. But the structural damage has already been done. It will take time to fix the facilities. Even if prices decline, it won’t be as fast as the increase. We may no longer return to the previous level of P60 per liter for diesel,” she said in Filipino during an interview with dzBB.

The DOE chief noted that attacks on energy infrastructure, including Iran’s Pars gas field — part of the world’s largest natural gas reserve — have contributed to supply uncertainties in the global market.

Disruptions in shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil export route, have also driven sustained increases in fuel prices in recent weeks.

Despite these pressures, motorists may get temporary relief this week, with diesel prices projected to drop by as much as P10.80 per liter and gasoline by up to P1.50 per liter, following a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Garin added that the government’s fuel subsidy program for public utility vehicles could last between three to four months if properly implemented.

“We expect that the fuel discount program for jeepneys, if implemented properly and supported by accurate budget projections, could provide at least three to four months of assistance,” she said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier approved a P10-per-liter fuel subsidy for public utility vehicles, capped at 150 liters per week, to be implemented for three months starting in Metro Manila.