Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that the Department of Energy (DOE) is currently conducting an investigation into oil companies’ exorbitant fuel prices in a bid to lower the prices of fuel and gasoline in Puerto Princesa City and in Palawan.
During his visit to Puerto Princesa City, Secretary Nograles assured the city officials and employees, during the flag raising ceremony that the national government will work hard to address the high fuel prices here.
He said that after the high fuel prices issue was presented and discussed during his meeting with the officials from MIMAROPA region last October 2019, they immediately acted and called the attention of the Department of Energy (DOE) to look into the matter.
“Ini-imbestigahan na po natin kasi mas mataas ng plus ten pesos yata dito sa Puerto Princesa at sa Palawan sa presyo ng langis at krudo. Na call na ang attention ng DOE,” Nograles said.
He said while the oil companies cited the high transportation cost as the reason of the high fuel prices, but it is not acceptable that a P10 per liter markup will be imposed on fuel products to the detriment of the fuel consumers in Palawan and Puerto Princesa.
Nograles further explained that the fuel prices in other parts of MIMAROPA region is not as high as the P10 markup in here.
“Tinitingnan ng DOE kung paano ma-unbundle ang rates. Ang reason naman ng mga oil companies ay mataas ang cost ng transportation. Sa atin naman sa gobyerno ay hindi katanggap-tanggap na papatong ka ng P10 dahil lang sa transportation cost. Hindi naman ganun kalaki ang presyo sa ibang bahagi ng region,” Nograles said.
Last August 2019, City Councilor Peter Q. Maristela proposed a legislative measure that resulted to the City Council urging Congress to look into the difference of the fuel prices in Metro Manila and Puerto Princesa and to take appropriate necessary actions.
The consumers in Puerto Princesa and Palawan are put to the disadvantage position, the council then said, since the fuel price here is higher compared to that in Metro Manila and even to nearby provinces within MIMAROPA region.
Maristela said that there is a P5 to P10 difference in fuel prices in Puerto Princesa compared that to those in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro and Mariduque, which all are just within the same region.
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