Fuel discounts for PUVs launched amid rollback

MANILA, Philippines — Public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers have been granted fuel discounts as part of a new agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and major oil companies aimed at cushioning the impact of fluctuating global oil prices.

Rino Abad, director of the DOE’s Oil Industry Management Bureau, said nine companies had committed to offering fuel discounts to PUVs, while others will extend benefits to transport network vehicle services (TNVS), private motorists and bulk buyers.

These companies are Petron, Shell, Caltex, Seaoil, Phoenix, PTT, Jetti, Clean Fuel, and Petro Gazz.

The discount scheme takes effect in the third quarter beginning July 1 amid a fuel price rollback.

READ: PUV drivers set to get fuel subsidy as oil prices surge

“These discounts have been aligned and will be posted on the DOE website, serving as a guide for PUV drivers and motorists alike,” Abad said in the government TV program, “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.”

Categories

Abad said the discount program has four categories — discounts for PUVs; additional discounts for TNVS; loyalty rewards for private motorists; and fleet card promos for bulk buyers and corporate accounts.

No registration or card is required for PUV drivers, Abad said. They only need to pay and automatically get discounts at designated “PUV lanes” in participating gasoline stations.

Apart from the discounts, Abad said, “If tensions [in the Middle East] continue to ease, we may see another P4 to P5 rollback in the coming weeks, returning prices to pre-conflict levels seen between June 6 and 9.”

To minimize the shock of abrupt price hikes, oil companies had also agreed to implement staggered price increases as they had done last week, Abad said, with price hikes divided between Tuesday and the end of the week instead of a single jump.

Targeted subsidies

The government is also continuing targeted fuel subsidies, with P2.5 billion allocated under the 2025 General Appropriations Act for public transport drivers and an additional P150 million—split evenly between farmers and fisherfolk—through the Department of Agriculture.

“These programs are not universal, but they are essential for supporting sectors most vulnerable to fuel price volatility,” Abad said.

The government previously said it was ready to roll out fuel subsidies to more than one million public utility vehicle drivers and operators, tricycle drivers, as well as ride-hailing drivers.

Israel-Iran conflict

He said the DOE is eyeing revised promos by October in the fourth quarter.

Industry players said the rollback can be attributed to a ceasefire between Iran and Israel which eased worries on global supply disruption.

Last week, fuel retailers imposed a hefty pump price increase as high as P5.20, amid an escalation in the conflict following US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 22.

In separate advisories on Monday, Ketti Petroleum, Seaoil, Clean Fuel, Caltex, PTT Philippines, Petron and Flying V pegged the drop in diesel and gasoline prices at P1.80 and P1.40 per liter, respectively.

Kerosene prices decreased by P2.20 a liter. /cb

(2025/07/01-02:14)