CARTOON BY: AARON PAUL C. CARIL
EDITORIAL
When work no longer pays for food
Before sunrise in Talibon, tricycle drivers gather outside the municipal hall. They are not there to start their routes, but to collect a few kilos of rice from the local government. Men who once took pride in earning their living now wait quietly in line because the day’s fuel will cost more than what they can earn. In nearby towns, drivers start their day only to find that pump prices have gone up again, sooner than expected and without warning. GMA News Online reports that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is getting ready to give out about three billion pesos in fuel subsidies to public utility vehicle drivers. Jeepney and tricycle drivers wait in long lines at payout centers for their ₱5,000 assistance. While this amount gives short-term relief, for many it is the only thing keeping them from coming home empty-handed. These are not dramatic scenes. They are just ordinary days in an economy where work no longer guarantees food on the table.
The global situation is not helping. Conflict in the Middle East has disrupted oil shipments and made crude prices unpredictable. Since the country imports almost all its fuel, the effects are felt immediately. Diesel in Bohol now costs over ₱100 per liter, and gasoline is in the mid-90s. Every sector that depends on transport, from farmers moving vegetables to small stores restocking goods, feels the impact long before it appears in official reports. This crisis is not distant. It is already here and changing daily life.
Economists are lowering growth forecasts and say the Philippines is among the countries most affected by ongoing oil price swings. Higher import costs, a weaker position abroad, and limited government funds all point to a tough year ahead. With global crude prices still unstable, recently hitting $100 per barrel before dropping a bit, the next round of local price hikes is not just possible. It is certain.
The peso dropping past ₱60 to the dollar makes things even tougher. Every peso lost in value means fuel, fertilizer, medicine, and machinery all cost more. It also raises the cost of paying foreign debt and worsens the trade deficit. When both oil prices and the exchange rate are against us, the pressure is not just at the pump. It spreads to transport fares, food prices, electricity bills, and every part of the household budget.
The effects show up in daily life. Drivers earn less than they spend. Farmers see their profits disappear. Small businesses delay deliveries because transport costs are too high. Families try to stretch budgets that no longer cover their needs. Still, official statements say supply is stable and the situation is “manageable.” But the real problem is not supply. It is price. Rising prices are quietly eating away at the earning power of ordinary Filipinos.
The country has faced many outside challenges before, but just getting by is not a real plan. With oil markets unstable, the peso weaker, and growth already downgraded, there is less room for mistakes each week. Now, both policymakers and the public face a simple question that no optimistic briefing can soften: How long can we hold the line?