By DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
Provincial and city legislators and commuters in Bohol are demanding fare rollbacks in all public transport modes, as the national transport regulator remains mum on reducing fares even as fuel prices have posted huge declines following a ceasefire in the United States-Iran war that had sent global oil prices spiraling to crisis levels.
Provincial board member Joahna Cabalit-Initay delivered a privilege speech at the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Monday, May 19, 2026, calling for a comprehensive review and possible reduction of fares charged by all types of public utility vehicles operating in Bohol.
Cabalit-Initay, who sits as ex-officio member of the provincial board as president of the Philippine Councilors League-Bohol chapter, said the riding public continues to reel from expensive fares even as fuel prices have declined in recent weeks.
She explained the sweeping impact of the surge in petroleum product prices on the economy and the transport sector, noting that oil prices had shot up quickly and significantly at the pump — even despite the existence of a buffer stock mechanism designed to cushion against sudden price spikes.
The board member also took aim at what she described as exploitation by certain sectors that took advantage of the crisis to fill their pockets at the expense of ordinary commuters, saying such conduct helped drive up not only transport fares but also food prices and logistics costs, compounding hardship for the riding public.
She filed a resolution urging the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to call on relevant agencies, operators, drivers, and other stakeholders to jointly conduct a review and make appropriate adjustments to the fares of all public transport utilities in Bohol.
Her proposals were referred to the Committee on Public Utilities and Franchises for further deliberation.
A WAR-DRIVEN ENERGY CRISIS
The fare pressures in Bohol are part of a national crisis rooted in the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran on February 28, 2026, which sent global oil markets into a tailspin and triggered a cascade of price hikes across the Philippine economy.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flows, was effectively choked off since the war began, with over 100 ships that had been passing through the narrow waterway daily suddenly unable to transit.
Brent crude surged to as high as $110 per barrel at its peak — nearly 30 percent above pre-war levels — as markets priced in the supply disruption.
In the Philippines, which imports nearly all of its crude oil and refined petroleum products, retail prices shot past P160 to P170 per liter for diesel since the war erupted.
The resulting price shock forced transport operators nationwide to seek emergency fare relief.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on March 17 approved fare hikes averaging 19 percent across all public utility vehicle modes — citing the surge in fuel prices, higher maintenance and spare parts costs, and an accumulated 19 percent rise in the minimum wage since 2022, as well as the geopolitical tensions including the Middle East conflict.
However, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. overruled the LTFRB adjustment, suspending the fare hike to protect commuters already strained by higher prices across goods and services.
Instead, the government poured some seven billion pesos into a land-based service contracting program providing cash subsidies to PUV drivers and operators, alongside a mandated 20 percent weekday fare discount — though commuters questioned its impact, saying they barely felt the promised relief.
The program ended on May 22, with the government shifting to a P10-per-liter fuel discount subsidy for operators.
NO FARE CUT ORDER DESPITE FUEL PRICE DROP
Global oil prices plunged and stocks surged after the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in early April, with Brent crude falling sharply amid hopes that ships could resume transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Philippine fuel retailers implemented major price reductions beginning April 14, with diesel prices cut by as much as P23 per liter.
For three straight weeks thereafter, diesel prices posted consecutive rollbacks, with the cumulative reduction reaching P58.77 per liter — bringing pump prices closer to pre-war levels.
Despite these reductions, the LTFRB has issued no order compelling transport operators to roll back fares.
LTFRB chairman Vigor Mendoza II had said the board could initiate a review and issue a provisional fare reduction if fuel prices fell below roughly P75 per liter, but conditioned any action on further study and public hearings.
The Department of Energy, meanwhile, cautioned that sustained fuel price reductions could not be assured, with Energy Secretary Sharon Garin warning that global oil market volatility persisted and that recent pump price reductions were driven largely by a temporary drop tied to the ceasefire announcement.
The warning proved prescient.
As of the week of May 20, 2026,pump prices had reversed course, with gasoline and diesel posting increases for the second consecutive week — ending a four-week rollback streak — as the Philippines remained under a state of national energy emergency for the eighth straight week.
TRICYCLE BRACKETING SCHEME EXPLORED IN TAGBILARAN
In Tagbilaran City, which is almost entirely dependent on tricycles as its primary mode of public transport, City Councilor Leonides “Edi” Borja said his Committee on Public Utilities and Franchises at the Sangguniang Panlungsod has been discussing a bracketing scheme that would automatically adjust tricycle fares based on the prevailing price of fuel.
Borja said Mayor Jane Yap had asked him to explore the possibility of reducing fares as fuel prices appeared to be on a downtrend.
However, those discussions were placed on hold after fuel prices spiked anew, and Borja said he is seriously weighing all options given the continued volatility.
“We are looking for a tariff or bracketing mechanism that will depend on the movement of fuel prices in the market,” Borja said.
Earlier this year, the Tagbilaran city council allowed a provisional increase of five pesos on the base tricycle fare of 15 pesos, while retaining the two-peso per-kilometer charge beyond the first kilometer. Discounts for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and students were likewise retained.
OCEANJET PASSENGERS SEEK FARE ROLLBACK
In the maritime sector, passengers and online users are calling on fast-craft operator OceanJet to roll back its Tagbilaran-to-Cebu fare, which stands at P1,000 pesos — raised from P800 pesos when petroleum costs surged following the outbreak of the Middle East conflict.
With fuel prices having partially eased and maritime operations returning to normal, many passengers argue the elevated fare is no longer justified.
OceanJet has yet to issue an official statement on a possible rollback.
Cabalit-Initay, for her part, said the situation demands urgent action from both regulators and transport operators.
“Even if fuel prices have stabilized, the cost of transport remains high and continues to impose a heavy burden on the riding public,” she said.
“Fares must be brought in line with the current cost of fuel,” Initay said.