Philippine bus operators press Marcos for fare hike as diesel prices soar

Passenger buses are seen on a road with other motorists in Manila on September 22, 2026. Philippine bus operators pressed President Ferdinand Marcos on September 22 to let them raise ticket prices, arguing that soaring fuel costs from the Middle East war threatened to make operations ‘impossible’. — AFP pic

First Published: Tuesday, 22 Sep 2026 4:50 PM MYT

MANILA, Sept 22 — Philippine bus operators pressed President Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday to let them raise ticket prices, arguing that soaring fuel costs from the Middle East war threatened to make operations “impossible”.

The cost of diesel, which powers most of the South-east Asian country’s buses, has effectively doubled since the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered the conflict.

The Philippine transport board approved a fare hike in March, only for Marcos to quash the move a day later.

Ticket prices have remained static ever since.

On Tuesday, the per-litre price of diesel jumped another 8.82 pesos (about RM0.60).

“This is a notice that operations may soon become impossible,” a group of companies representing bus lines across the country of 116 million said in a statement.

“Fuel prices have reached levels that our operations can no longer afford,” it read.

“We are not asking the Government for ayuda,” the statement added, using a Filipino term meaning handout.

“We are asking for a fair and sustainable fare that reflects the real cost of operating public transportation.”

Millions of Filipinos use buses to get to and from work each day, with prices for a ride ranging from 13 to 15 pesos for the first five kilometres, then jumping about three pesos for each subsequent kilometre.

Contacted by AFP, the transportation department pointed to a Saturday statement saying it “hoped to arrive at a positive decision” on a rate hike in coming days.

The import-dependent Philippines declared a national energy emergency in March and has been forced to cast an ever-wider net for fuel, including purchases of oil from Russia.

Unlike neighbours including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, fuel prices in the Philippines are unregulated, leaving local transport firms to deal with market fluctuations.

The Marcos administration gave bus operators a one-off subsidy in March of 10,000 pesos for each of their vehicles.

Separate handouts have been given to transport workers including drivers of taxis and the country’s ubiquitous jeepneys.

On Tuesday, the energy department said the country had a 57-day reserve of diesel and enough petrol for 56 days. — AFP