Filipino Drivers Launch 3-Day Strike As Diesel Hits Php99 And Marcos Rejects Fuel Tax Cuts

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Philippine public transport groups launched a nationwide three-day strike starting on Monday, September 28, angered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's refusal to suspend taxes on diesel and gasoline amid successive price hikes.

Manibela and Piston, two of the country's biggest transport federations, were out on the streets, not as drivers but as protesters, after Marcos suspended excise taxes on cooking gas and kerosene but not on motor vehicle fuels.

Recommended For You

Thousands of commuters experienced difficulty finding rides during rush hour on Monday as Manibela members gathered at the University of the Philippines campus for a motorcade to downtown Manila.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

The Marcos government tried to dissuade drivers from their strike, announcing the approval of a P1.00 (6 fils) fare hike and the continuation of its fuel subsidy programme for select drivers over the weekend.

The groups, however, dismissed the gestures, saying they wanted to work and were not asking for loose change and alms from the government.

“For far too long, the Marcos government and the war-hungry United States have made us suffer due to the oil crisis. We are earning nothing, yet Marcos's response is useless: a meagre fare increase, token aid for show, and nothing else,” Piston chairperson Mody Floranda said.

How much does diesel cost in the Philippines?

Premium brands such as Shell and Chevron-controlled Caltex sell diesel for as much as P99 (Dh5.82) in Metro Manila. The prices increase the farther the station is from central Manila.

Floranda revealed that public transport drivers in the Philippines already spend P6,000 (Dh357) daily. Provincial and city buses have reduced operations by as much as 80 per cent due to prohibitive diesel prices.

The transport leader said ordinary commuters suffer as much as drivers, as they have to pay higher fares while prices of basic goods skyrocket.

Fuel prices in the Philippines remain volatile as wars in fuel-exporting regions continue to rage.

Who profits from high diesel costs?

Piston said the country's biggest oil company, Petron, earned P3.8 billion (Dh227 million) in the first half of 2026, driven by“oil overpricing-a result of the oil deregulation law.”

The group added "none of the major oil companies voluntarily lowered their prices, unlike some small and independent gas stations that sacrificed weeks of earnings just to keep fuel price increases in check for public transportation operators."

"The Marcos government is complicit in the profiteering scheme. As crude oil prices rise, so do its collections from value-added tax and excise taxes,” Piston underscored.

From diesel alone, tax collections reach P544 million (nearly Dh32.5 million) daily.“These funds do not go towards public services. Instead, they feed a coffer of corruption, fund fascism, and serve as a war chest for the next election,” Floranda said.

“There is nothing to be grateful for regarding the Marcos administration. His greed, corruption, puppetry, and fascism are not merely incompetent-they are destructive to our lives and livelihoods,” the driver-leader concluded.

ALSO READ

Transport crisis: Up to 80% of Philippine provincial buses stop running as fuel prices soar Philippines suspends LPG, kerosene excise over US-Iran war Philippine vegetable prices surge as farmers struggle with transport and storage costs

MENAFN28092026000049011007ID1111724789