“If adequate support is not provided, fish production and the country’s food security are at serious risk.”
MANILA — In a month, a fisherfolk loses P13,000 ($218) due to a 120-percent increase in fuel expenses since the aggression of the United States and Israel on Iran, according to the position paper submitted by fishers group Pamalakaya Pilipinas to the Senate.
“Many fishermen are forced to reduce their time at sea and the number of fishing trips per week, as their earnings no longer cover their operating costs,” the paper read in Filipino. “A significant number of municipal-level fishermen have also had their boats docked for nearly a month, having temporarily ceased fishing operations entirely.”
Last February, the usual cost for ten liters of fuel was only P400 ($7) to P550 ($9), but it has now reached up to P1,200 per fishing trip. This translates to an additional P650 ($11) in fuel expenses per day.
The Senate inquiry transpired on April 8, 2026 spearheaded by chairperson of the Senate committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform Senator Francis Pangilinan. Pamalakaya Secretary General Salvador France was invited as a resource person, presenting the group’s three demands.
First is the immediate and sufficient rollout of fuel subsidy to affected fisherfolk across the country, which amounts to not less than P30,000 ($502) or equivalent to the drastic increase in the fuel cost since March.
They also called for the removal of the excise tax and value-added tax on petroleum products, claiming that these add up to P20 per liter, and the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, which has led to the uncontrolled profiteering of big companies.
“Meanwhile, the government’s promised fuel subsidy worth P3,000 ($50) remains as unclear as a jellyfish in the water. Not only is it insufficient but it’s also slow to materialize and won’t cover all registered fishermen,” said Castro in a Filipino statement.
The Department of Agriculture told the Senate that there is a P3,000 ($50) subsidy for the more than 15,000 fisherfolk who own motorized boats. However, there are more than 2.7 million fishers registered nationwide.
“If adequate support is not provided, fish production and the country’s food security are at serious risk,” Castro added. “We can see no other reason why fuel taxes cannot be abolished except for the government’s clear bias toward major oil companies.”
Despite the declaration of so-called ceasefire between the United States and Iran, domestic fuel prices remain volatile due to the lack of government regulatory oversight to the oil companies, allowing them to raise prices without restriction. (RTS, RVO)
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