INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Energy said Friday there was an adequate supply of cooking gas in the country, even in Metro Manila and nearby provinces devastated by the torrential monsoon rains and massive flooding.
In a statement, the DOE said major suppliers have advised it that they have enough supply. It would, however, be best for their customers to order through the “tawag centers” since some of their outlets may have encountered delivery problems because of the recent flooding.
The major players include Petron Corp., Total Philippines, Liquigaz and Isla Gas, which earlier acquired the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.
Some independent refillers and small retailers, however, are still waiting for their supplies as transport ships have been unable to dock and discharge their cargo of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) due to the rough seas at the Bataan port.
If flooding has subsided and good weather will continue, supply of independent refillers is expected to normalize early next week, the DOE said.
“In light of this condition, we warn retailers not to take advantage of the situation and note that based on our monitoring after the August price increase, the retail price for an 11-kilogram LPG tank should be around P700,” the DOE said.
“We appeal to customers to report to DOE retailers who are selling overpriced products, by calling (02) 840-2184. Overpricing of petroleum products such as LPG is sanctioned with an administrative fine of at least P10,000 and an appropriate criminal offense,” it said.
LPG players raised the prices of cooking gas by P7 per kilogram this month or P77 per 11-kg tank. This hike was due to the $168.50-per-metric-ton increase in the international contract price of LPG to $775 per ton, from the previous month’s price of $606.50 per ton