March 11, 2026 – Many might say that the rise in petrol prices is only a car-owner’s problem. Little did many know that many aspects of our daily lives depend on petrol. From commuting to and from work to deliveries of goods, everyone is affected by it. It’s funny how we think petrol only matters when we’re filling up a car. In reality, it’s like a hidden cost woven into the price tag of almost everything we buy.

Commuters’ Reality

I ride public transportation most days of the week. It’s cheaper. But with the significant rise in petrol prices, I fear that the fare for public transport would also increase. It’s a domino effect I have seen every time there is a price hike, and I can already see the possibility. I used to ignore the prices in a gasoline station until I realized that those figures are the silent factors of my daily budget.

It starts with a few extra pesos or cents added to the “minimum fare.” While it seems small per trip, it compounds into hundreds by the end of the month. High fuel costs don’t just make rides more expensive; they make them rarer. When drivers can’t afford to keep their vehicles on the road, the “cheap” option suddenly costs me an extra 30 minutes of standing in line. Lastly, even if I walk to the market to save on fare, I’m still paying for petrol. The vendor at the wet market has to pay more for the delivery truck that brought the vegetables from the farm. In the end, I’m “eating” the fuel hike with every meal.

As of March 9, 2026, the Department of Energy, with guidance from the National Government, imposed nationwide price ceilings for petrol products. This move, according to the department, is to protect consumers from potential exploitation in supplies amid the crisis in the Middle East. The directive applies to all retail outlets, including – including both company-owned and dealer-operated stations.

Honestly, I do not fully understand how this directive ensures fair pricing – especially for regular Filipinos – but I hope it will not compromise the people’s access to basic necessities. While a price limit helps for now, it is just a bandage. We need a plan that ensures we can still afford basic needs even when global prices shift.

Filipino Resilience

Filipinos are known for being resilient. We are a master of flexibility in crisis situations. We have a habit of romanticizing our ability to endure. We find humor in the struggle and call it strength. But when the cost of a basic commute competes with the cost of a kilo of rice, resilience starts to feel a lot like exhaustion.

For some, resilience looks like skipping the morning coffee to cover the fare hike, or walking the last two kilometers to save ten pesos. We also developed the “pasa-buy” culture where neighbors or friends pool their resources to minimize expenses. For keyboard warriors, resilience hides behind “memes” and those funny videos and commentaries.

Moving Ahead

This is a Thanos-like effect – it’s inevitable. One snap, one major crisis and everything will change. Whether we are behind the wheel or gripping a handrail, the rising cost of fuel is a weight we all carry. While the price ceilings offer a temporary wall for the fire, the long-term solution lies in a transport and economic system that doesn’t leave the most vulnerable at the mercy of a global ticker.

Filipinos have always found a way to keep moving, but resilience is often exploited by people in power. We must demand good governance even in economic crisis situations. My hope is that in the coming months (or years), people in power bring more than just controlled prices. I hope that our leaders will have a sense of stability to plan for long-term solutions,  rather than putting another band-aid.

“All for Gas” should not mean sacrificing our basic comforts just to keep the country running. Instead, we must work toward a future where “Gas for All” means an economy that is accessible, fair, and, most importantly, humane. We are all passengers on this journey, and it’s about time the road was made a little smoother for everyone.

“The ASEAN Economic Community: Cooperation Amidst Diversity” Forum, with guest speaker, ADB President Takehiko Nakao held on 25 November 2019.

ADB President Nakao speaks at joint UP and ASEAN Society Philippines Forum. He spoke how Manila was chosen as ADB HQ, and shared his views on the importance of legal principles and reforms in nation building, the relevance of ASEAN to economic cooperation in Asia, and ADB’s deeper relationship with the Philippines. The Forum was held at the Malcolm Theater, UP College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City “UP Law Center, UP College of Law.  Mr. Nakao shared his perspectives on the future of ASEAN  Economic Community amidst  rising populist trends and ensuing economic shifts, and the role of the Asian Development Bank in the region.

JICA president Shinichi Kitaoka, third from right, shakes hands with MILF vice-chair Ghadzali Jaafar in the province of Maguindanao on March 2.

MANILA — With a population of 20 million and a wealth of natural resources, the growth potential of Mindanao has never been in question. But 40 years of armed conflict between Muslim separatists and the central government have meant it has largely gone untapped.

Sometimes referred to as Asia’s “last frontier,” the southernmost major island in the Philippines may finally be showing signs of development under private sector initiative.

Development grant

Under a scorching hot sun on March 1, the head of Japan’s aid agency made the hourlong journey along the bumpy, palm-lined road from the city of Cotabato to the town of Alamada. Shinichi Kitaoka was in town to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for a new road in the vast fertile area funded by grant-in-aid of 442 million pesos ($9.42 million) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The project marks the first time that JICA has funded infrastructure development in a conflict area. Alamada Mayor Virginia Concepcion said the farm road should contribute to local economic development.

JICA’s move to provide the aid was due to the delays to infrastructure-development projects caused by the prolonged armed dispute.

Some 90% of the 100-million-strong Philippine population are Christian. Muslims account for roughly 5% and are concentrated in parts of Mindanao. Armed disputes began to intensify in the early 1970s after increased Christian settlement of the island. More than 100,000 people have reportedly been killed as a result of the conflict.

Mindanao has an area of 100,000 square kilometers and is believed to be rich in resources of gold, copper and nickel. But the armed struggle for an autonomous Muslim region has held back any efforts to exploit those resources.

In 2014, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or MILF, the main separatist group, signed a comprehensive peace deal with the Philippine government.

This came after years of tortuous negotiations, often conducted in secret. One meeting was arranged in 2011 by the Japanese government near Tokyo’s Narita Airport

The Muslim population hopes for greater autonomy for the region based on the 2014 accord. And the Bangsamoro Basic Law, a bill that would have paved the way for the proposed new political entity, appeared to be making headway.

In January 2015, however, a clash between the MILF and a special police unit left 44 police as well as a number of MILF fighters and civilians dead. The renewed mutual mistrust led to the Philippine Congress rejecting the basic law’s passage.

Even so, the peace process remains largely on track. Despite the bill failing to go through, both the Philippine government and the MILF are still intent on seeing through the 2014 accord. In addition, the emergence of business startups has raised hopes that the fighting may finally come to an end.

Big retailers

Major Manila-based department stores and supermarkets are beginning to set up shop in Cotabato, a city with a population of 300,000 lying close to MILF strongholds.

Centro Department Stores opened its first Mindanao outlet in the city in September 2015. “Our store offers goods that until recently were only available in Manila,” an official said.

Supermarket operator Puregold Price Club, which has tied up with Japanese convenience store chain Lawson, opened its first store in Cotabato last year, with a second one underway in 2016.

Since the Bangsamoro legislature was scrapped, no major violence occurred in the affected areas. And the benefits of economic growth brought about by businesses thriving will only further local people’s resentment of armed conflict.

On March 2, Kitaoka met MILF leaders and pledged JICA’s continued support for the peace process.

“If peace is not achieved in Mindanao, it cannot be achieved anywhere in the world,” Kitaoka said at a press conference. “We will continue support so as to show dividends of peace to people.”

Although the organization is not in a position to provide direct support to private companies, logistic support, such as the construction of roads in areas hosting businesses, is possible.

The Bangsamoro legislature is “no more than part of the peace process,” said Takayuki Nakagawa, an official dispatched by the Japanese government to the International Monitoring Team in Mindanao. “Support from the international community is necessary to prevent the process from going backward.”

If order is restored in Mindanao, the island becomes an attractive destination for foreign investment. National elections in May will decide the next president and how the new leader will handle the peace process remains uncertain. What is certain is that economic growth under private sector initiative can only drive forward the process.

(From Left to Right) PCID President Amina Rasul-Bernardo, MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, and PCID Secretary Prof. Moner Bajunaid

PCID was represented by its President, Ms. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, Secretary Prof. Moner Bajunaid and Convenor Urooj Malik. Also present in the meeting was Foundation for Economic Freedom’s Dr. Vicente Paqueo, a former World Bank Senior Economist.