MANILA, Philippines — As the public awaits the suspension of the fuel excise tax either on Sunday or Monday next week, the government's price monitoring team saw the cost of diesel go up and is expected to even go higher beyond ₱160 per liter this week as the war in the Middle East continues to affect fuel prices.

By tomorrow, Pilipinas Shell has announced that it will raise diesel prices by ₱19.80 per liter, gasoline by ₱5.90 per liter and kerosene by ₱9.10 per liter. Last week, gasoline prices increased by up to ₱2.90 per liter, diesel by ₱4.50 to ₱12.90 per liter, and kerosene by ₱1.00 to ₱2.40 per liter.

According to the Department of Energy (DoE), based on its monitoring in Metro Manila and highly urbanized areas last week, gasoline prices ranged at around ₱81.65 to ₱114 per liter, diesel prices were ₱109.50 to ₱153.10 per liter, while the cost of kerosene ranged from ₱141 to ₱169.19 per liter.

Energy secretary Sharon Garin enthused that pump prices were unlikely to go down soon, citing that “on our calculations, on average, it’s still not going down as we hoped. We are hoping things will be better soon. But this war is very erratic. We don’t know what’s going to happen. Nobody knows.”

Garin disclosed that they are closely monitoring fuel prices as adjustments may come but thus can only be determined after the fuel excise tax is suspended next week on April 13.

Meanwhile, Tehran has assured Manila of safe passage for Philippine-flagged vessels and all Filipino seafarers via the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

Prior to this, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to initiate talks with Iran to secure Strait of Hormuz passage.

Under the president's directive, Manila requested Tehran to formally designate the Philippines as a “non-hostile” country to ensure the safe passage of Philippine-bound ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign affairs secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro reported that the high-level meeting with Iranian officials proved to be “very productive” and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had indicated interest to discuss stronger bilateral cooperation on all fronts.

Lazaro cited that the 'positive' development was vital for the Philippines as it would ensure the safety of Filipino seafarers operating in the Middle East and help secure the country’s energy supply.

In a social media post, the secretary noted: “Building on recent talks, we reached a positive understanding on the safety of our seafarers and the security of our energy supply. Grateful for the warm spirit of cooperation.”

Manila and Tehran have also reaffirmed their commitment to “maintaining excellent relations and achieving lasting peace through continued dialogue and diplomacy,” Garin added.