52-day stock: DOE told to keep fuel supply moving

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MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Energy to ensure continuous fuel supply and prevent stagnation as the country continues to manage the impact of high fuel costs.

Palace press officer Claire Castro said Tuesday, April 21, that Marcos gave the instruction to Energy Secretary Sharon Garin during the fourth meeting of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport committee—an ad-hoc grouping Marcos convened under the national energy emergency.

“Ipinagbilin ng pangulo sa ating Secretary of Energy, kay Secretary Sharon (Garin) na dapat na hindi maputol ang suplay ng krudo o produktong petrolyo sa atin dahil ayaw ng Pangulo ang stagnation,” Castro said at a Palace briefing.

(The president instructed Energy Secretary Sharon Garin that the supply of crude oil or petroleum products should not be disrupted because the president does not want stagnation.)

Castro said the country had a 52-day average fuel inventory as of April 21.

Some 471,000 barrels of fuel have also been delivered to the country, while orders have been confirmed for 1 million barrels out of 2 million barrels, according to the Palace.

Citing Garin, Castro said there is no fuel supply shortage in the country, adding that the Philippine National Oil Co. is serving as a reserve buffer.

“Patuloy namang sinisiguro ng pamahalaan na mayroon tayong sapat na suplay para tuluy-tuloy lang ang trabaho at mga serbisyo,” Castro said.

(The government continues to ensure that we have enough supply so work and services can continue.)

The supply directive comes after oil firms implemented another major rollback on Tuesday, April 21, with Shell Pilipinas cutting diesel prices by P24.94 per liter, gasoline by P3.41 per liter and kerosene by P2 per liter, according to GMA News.