Win Gatchalian urges DOE, DTI to consider price cap on LPG

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday called on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to consider imposing a price cap on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) amid the fuel price shocks due to the Middle East crisis.

"The impending increase in the price of LPG by P35 to P40 per 11-kilogram cylinder by April to reach record levels is an added financial burden on ordinary Filipino consumers and small business owners," said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate finance committee and the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) committee.

"I call on the DOE and DTI to ensure adequate supply, strictly monitor market pricing, and, if price increases are unwarranted, consider imposing a price ceiling on LPG as a prescribed measure against undue price increases during emergency situations provided under RA 10623, an act amending certain provisions of the Price Act (RA 7581) to protect consumers," the senator said in a statement.

GMA News Online reached out to Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin for comment, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

The LPG Marketers Association (LPGMA) has warned that the price of an 11-kilogram LPG tank could spike to P1,500 in April from its current price range of P825 to P1,135 in Metro Manila, due to rising shipping costs caused by limited access to the Strait of Hormuz.

An LPG shortage is unlikely in the coming months, the group earlier said, as inventory is now projected to last 35 to 45 days, an improvement from the DOE's earlier estimate of up to 24 days as of March 20.

"Ang LPG ay pangunahing pangangailangan sa bawat tahanan at maliliit na negosyo tulad ng mga karinderya. Anumang hindi makatuwirang pagtaas ng presyo nito ay dagdag na pasanin lamang sa kabuhayan at sa presyo ng pagkain para sa ordinaryong Pilipino," Gatchalian said.

(LPG is an essential item in every home and small businesses such as neighborhood eateries. Any unreasonable increase in prices would be an added pressure to the prices of food, which would add more burden to ordinary Filipinos.)

— VDV, GMA Integrated News