Land transport operators in Bohol expressed frustration Friday over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order suspending a provisional fare increase, even as fast-craft company Ocean Jet moved ahead with its own fuel surcharge and city lawmakers prepared to weigh a tricycle fare hike petition.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Region 7 chief, Abosamen Matuan, confirmed that no fare hike order is currently in effect for land-based public utility vehicles after Marcos directed the Department of Transportation to hold off on implementing an LTFRB-recommended provisional increase.
“There is no fare matrix allowing the collection of more fare from commuters,” Matuan said, adding that drivers caught charging above authorized rates would face apprehension by Land Transportation Office Region 7, whose regional director, Wendel Dinglasan, vowed strict enforcement.
The suspension drew sharp criticism from van-for-hire, or V-hire, drivers and operators, who said take-home pay has dropped from roughly P750 pesos a day before the Middle East conflict to about P600 pesos — or less on slow days — as fuel costs erode earnings. Drivers said a significant portion of daily revenues now goes to fuel expenses, while ridership has also declined.
“An increase in fares can already go a long way to cushion the impact of rising fuel costs,” one driver said.
Tricycle hearing set
Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Public Utilities and Franchises is scheduled to hold a public hearing March 30 on a petition for a tricycle fare increase formally endorsed by the city mayor and referred to the panel during its regular session March 24.
Committee chairman Councilor Leonides Borja said the panel recognizes the urgency of the petition and has already conducted a committee meeting in response.
“There is a possibility that adjustments will be made on the fares as fuel prices continue to rise,” Borja said.
Dealers: Supply stable, but no guarantees
Petroleum dealers who appeared before the city council March 24 said fuel supply in Tagbilaran remains stable for now, but could not say how long that would hold.
Dealer Butch Abaya told the SP that supplies are sufficient at present, but offered no timeline for how long they would last.
Vice Mayor Adam Jala proposed forming a task force against hoarding and profiteering to monitor fuel prices and prime commodity prices amid the global supply crunch.
“Authorities must monitor prices well to ensure the prosecution of those who will abuse the situation,” Jala said.
City Administrator Alvin Acuzar said the Price Monitoring Council’s membership would be expanded to include more stakeholders, particularly suppliers.
Councilor Agustinus Gonzaga had moved to summon petroleum dealers to the SP to get a clearer picture of the supply situation.
Ocean Jet moves ahead with surcharge
Fast-craft operator Ocean Jet announced a provisional fuel surcharge that took effect March 23, citing surging operational costs driven by the conflict in the Middle East.
Under the new rates, the Cebu-Tagbilaran and Tagbilaran-Siquijor routes are priced at 960 pesos for tourist and open-air accommodation and 1,400 pesos for business class. The Tagbilaran-Dumaguete route is 1,080 pesos for tourist class and 1,680 pesos for business class. On the Dumaguete-Siquijor route, fares are 420 pesos for tourist class and 700 pesos for business class. On the Iloilo-Bacolod route, tourist class is priced at 650 pesos and business class at 900 pesos.
The company said the surcharge is temporary and will be rolled back once fuel prices stabilize or decline.
Global spillover
The fuel crisis has reached Boholanos abroad as well. A resident of Baclayon now living in Canada told a local radio program that gasoline prices and the cost of basic commodities have risen sharply there, with many Filipinos in Canada abandoning their cars in favor of bicycles for their daily commutes — a trend also seen locally in Bohol.
Fuel prices have registered double-digit increases as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global supply. Reports indicate oil tankers have been avoiding the strategic waterway for fear of Iranian missile and drone attacks, while several oil facilities in the Gulf region have been struck and taken offline. Global crude prices have surpassed the $80-per-barrel mark.