Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 18) — Despite successive oil price hikes, farmers and fisherfolk may have to wait longer before they could receive fuel subsidy from the government, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Friday.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the guidelines for distributing the subsidy are now “ready,” but the funds could not be disbursed yet.
“Itong pamimigay ng fuel subsidy ay may trigger mechanism bago ibigay—dapat ma-reach ‘yung gasoline price na $80 per barrel. Wala pa tayo jan,” he said when asked about updates on the fuel discount for farmers during a virtul briefing.
[Translation: This fuel subsidy distribution has a trigger mechanism before it is released — the gasoline price must reach $80 per barrel.]
The DA chief was referring to the condition that the subsidy would be released once the three-month average Dubai crude oil price reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel.
Based on oil price monitoring, the price of Dubai crude oil per barrel was at $83.55 last Jan. 19. The figure surged by 9.5% to $91.55 on Feb. 16.
“Kung ako lang, gusto ko na maibigay pero may sinusunod tayong batas,” Dar added.
[Translation: We are not there yet. If it were up to me, I would want to release it already but we have a law.]
Late last month, the DA said it was already preparing the ₱500-million fuel discount for local agri producers to help cushion the impact of increasing oil prices.
Those who are qualified to benefit from the program must own and operate agricultural or fishery machinery individually or through an organization, cooperative, or association.
For the seventh straight week, oil firms implemented another petroleum price hike this week.
Gasoline prices have gone up by ₱6.75 per liter so far this year, according to the Department of Energy’s latest oil monitor. Diesel and kerosene prices, meanwhile, have increased by ₱6.75/l and ₱9.15/l respectively.
Meanwhile, former Agrarian Reform Secretary and current National Chairperson of Anakpawis Rafael Mariano said small fishers have cried over the “dramatic increase” in fisheries production due to the current oil prices.
Mariano said that fisherfolk in Zambales would be forced to shell out more as the price of diesel now stands at ₱56 per liter.
“A small fisherfolk who regularly consumes at least 10 liters of diesel will now have to prepare ₱560 per fishing trip or a total of ₱8,960 per month equivalent to 16 fishing days. This is already a ₱1,760 increase in a small-scale fishing production from last year’s ₱7,200 monthly fuel expenses. What’s even more alarming with these non-stop increases on oil prices is that we are still in the very first quarter of the year,” Mariano was quoted as saying in a statement Friday.
“The production costs are skyrocketing as income of fisherfolks continues to plunge. Because the income can’t recover the production expenses, fishers have to borrow money to carry out another fishing trip only to return with empty nets and consequently be buried in debt from loan sharks,” he said.
