1 day ago
6
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
EJ Macababbad, Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
April 2, 2026 | 12:00am
Arnel Ty, founder of the LPG Marketing Association Inc. and president of Regasco, said deliveries will be made between May 15 and June 1 – a development relayed by the Department of Energy on Tuesday.
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is set to receive 66 million kilos of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States, Canada and Mexico, an industry representative said, providing a lifeline for industries and consumers highly dependent on it for at least a month.
Arnel Ty, founder of the LPG Marketing Association Inc. and president of Regasco, said deliveries will be made between May 15 and June 1 – a development relayed by the Department of Energy on Tuesday.
“DOE will store it in four LPG companies that have large storage facilities,” Ty said in a message to The STAR.
The shipment, estimated to cost around P2 billion to P2.5 billion, is equivalent to around six million 11-kilo LPG tanks.
As of March 27, the Philippines had LPG stocks sufficient for 34 days, latest DOE data showed.
“We said to them we will support the government because this will boost (supply) with an additional 30 to 40 days inventory for the Philippines, plus, probably, they can source a lower shipping cost if it’s a government-to-government transaction,” Ty told One News.
The DOE has required LPG retailers to ensure their stocks last at least 60 days, Ty said. He assured the public that there is no problem procuring supplies as long as retailers follow the agency’s directives.
Price hikes
LPG prices are affected by the contract price and shipping costs. For April, the Saudi contract price (CP), as set by Saudi oil giant Aramco, settled at $780 per metric ton, an astronomical rise of $238.
This translated to an additional increase of P16 per kilo, which Regasco staggered into two: P8 per kilo yesterday and another P8 per kilo on April 7.
Regasco already implemented a P20 per kilo increase on March 28, which Ty attributed to freight costs.
He said LPG is now being shipped under negotiated spot contracts, given the volatility of today’s situation. In ordinary times, freight costs are settled through a yearly contract.
“Because of the abnormality, shipping costs are now being auctioned off, or they are doing so on a digging, and that started this month of March, and all our term contract suppliers have tendered or issued the force majeure that they cannot supply us on their usual commitment,” Ty explained. “The product is there, but it will be on a negotiated spot contract.”
In separate advisories, Petron, Seagas and Solane also announced increases of P20, P36.63 and P17 per kilo for their LPG products, effective yesterday.
The latest adjustment has pushed the price of an 11-kilo LPG tank in Metro Manila to more than P1,500.
“The price has really jumped significantly because logistics have been disrupted. What we’re doing now is just to ensure that we have enough supply, because this is not only for restaurants but also for households,” energy chief Sharon Garin said at a press briefing on Monday.
