Oil companies raise diesel, gasoline prices anew

Local pump prices went up for the second week in a row at 35 centavos per liter of diesel and 45 centavos per liter of gasoline as rising optimism on global demand firmed up. Caltex raised prices at 12:01 a.m. followed by Petron, Shell, Seaoil, Total, PTT and Phoenix at 6 a.m. Cleanfuel increased its prices at 4:01 pm. Petron, Shell, Caltex and Seaoil raised prices of kerosene by 65 centavos per liter. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was pegged at $64.98 per barrel, down from $67.04 on April 19. Dubai crude, the Asian bellwether, dropped to $62.68 per barrel on April 22 from $63.48 a week ago.

—Ronnel W. Domingo