by: Vanessa Bugtong
As fuel prices rise again, various sectors, including small businesses and progressive groups, are calling on the government to remove excise tax and VAT on petroleum products, saying the increasing costs are affecting entire communities, not just transportation.
In Barangay Bakakeng Central, a small eatery run by Anisita cooks about 15 kilos of rice a day, costing nearly a thousand pesos.
She said this does not yet include meat and vegetables.
She admitted she gets stressed seeing prices continue to rise, especially with the latest increase in fuel costs.
She said they now have to add more to their budget because everything has become more expensive, particularly rice, which is the item they consume the most.
For 54-year-old resident Melinda Banaan, stricter budgeting has become necessary.
She shared that her 1,000 pesos no longer buys much, and with prices going up again, families like hers need to adjust even more.
Oil companies implemented another price increase today, with gasoline rising by 60 centavos per liter and kerosene by 1.30 pesos per liter.
Progressive groups in Baguio say these adjustments will again trigger higher prices of goods.
They argue it is time for the government to scrap excise tax and VAT on petroleum, claiming these taxes are the main reason fuel prices are steep in the Philippines, even when global oil prices barely move.
Minda of Kilusang Mayo Uno said the taxes remain high while workers’ wages stay the same, leaving ordinary citizens helpless.
Jamie Medes of Akbayan Partylist added that this issue affects all sectors, especially the youth, since rising fuel prices eventually raise the cost of basic goods.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the weakening peso against the dollar has also contributed to higher petroleum prices.
National Statistician Usec. Claire Dennis Mapa said that while diesel has not seen major global increases, adjustments continue to be made locally.
Despite the rising costs, the PSA said inflation may still ease in the coming months, excluding petroleum products, which remain volatile.
