Four oil firms raised anew yesterday the prices of their petroleum products.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Pilipinas Shell increased prices of premium gasoline (including unleaded) by P1.80 per liter, regular gasoline by P1.70 per liter, kerosene by P1.60 per liter and diesel by P1.50 per liter while Chevron Philippines (formerly Caltex) also has the same increase of its prices but effective Monday noon.
Total Philippines followed the same price hike at 6 a.m. Monday but no adjustment for kerosene.
Eastern Petroleum Philippines, an independent player, said it would add P1.80 per liter on premium, P1.70 per liter on regular, P1.60 per liter on kerosene and P1.50 per liter on diesel at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
In an advisory, Shell said the price movement is effective only in areas covered by earlier price freeze last week.
These areas include the entire National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales and Rizal. Sta. Cruz and Pagsanjan in Laguna as well as Bacoor, Kawit and Rosario in Cavite.
Like Shell, the other oil companies clarified that the fuel price hike would only take effect in areas that had been under the erstwhile price freeze.
Oil firms have now jacked up pump prices for seven straight weeks, although the previous hike, which mirrored this week’s hike, was only limited to “non-calamity” areas.
Many oil companies last week had said they would freeze prices in areas under a state of calamity due to rain and floods, which left more than 90 people dead.
According to the oil firms, the price increases reflect movements in the international oil market.