At least 16 gas stations in the Davao Region were forced to stop operations due to a shortage in fuel supply, according to the Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-11).

PRO-11 spokesperson, Major Catherine Dela Rey, said stations affected include eight in Davao City, two in Davao Oriental, and six in Davao del Norte.

“Walo ana sa Davao City, duha sa Davao Oriental then unom sa Davao del Norte unya ang reason nganong nag close sila is shortage sa supply,” Dela Rey said.

PRO-11 said the first closure was reported on March 9, 2026.

Under the directive of the Department of Energy (DOE), part of PRO-11’s monitoring is to inspect the underground tanks of closed gas stations to verify that fuel supply has indeed been depleted and to ensure that there is no hoarding.

“Gi-recommend sa DOE nga pwede daw mi mo-request og dipping sa underground tanks para ma check kay dapat naa sa 10-15 percent ang total capacity kung tinuod ba gyud nga shortage na sa supply. Maka-recommend lang mi nga during sa checking mao ni among nakita Ang DOE na magkuan (mohukom) kung unsay buhaton ana ma’am,” Dela Rey added.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Davao del Norte is set to import at least 44 million liters of diesel from Malaysia to secure the province’s supply amid concerns that the country’s oil reserves may only last until April 15.

Governor Edwin Jubahib said the move is a proactive measure to ensure the continuous operation of government services amid uncertainties brought by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“Ang king wala nagdumili nisugot sa atong hangyo ng magpurchase ta og diesel sa Malaysia. Naghimo nata og initiative di man ta pwede nga maghulat nga mosira na ang gripo unya usa pata maningkamot kay taas nga panahon ang kinahanglan una makapalit mintras naa patay ikapalit karon gigamit karon naghimo natag lakang aron maka-connect kung asa ta makapalit,” Jubahib said.

The provincial government is already processing the purchase.

“Gipangandaman nato ron ang depot, syempre, ug ang cash nakig-sit down na ta sa Treasurer’s Office through Development Bank of the Philippines. Willing sila mobayad kung naay kulang ang atong private stakeholders. Pwede ni tabangan tanan para kaya nato mabayran ang amount para padayon ang atong suplay sa petrolyo,” Jubahib added.