Staggered oil price hikes across the country have negatively affected Filipino consumers, including Angelites, citing financial and scheduling concerns.

Gasoline prices marked their ninth week of increase, while diesel and kerosene rose for the 11th week amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, triggered by the United States and Israel’s attacks on Iran.

In line with the global fuel crisis, HAU President Leopoldo Jaime N. Valdez announced on March 9 that the university would implement a Monday-to-Thursday workweek with a one-hour extension per day, starting March 10 until March 31.

The memorandum stated that the campus will be closed for in-person classes every Friday, while classes may be conducted online either synchronously or asynchronously.

Despite the workweek’s intent to save energy, Angelites said the rising fuel prices are already affecting their daily expenses and commuting decisions.

For Luke Orven Peña, a student from the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), the increasing fuel costs have begun to influence how he travels to school.

“As someone who usually drives to school, I’ve really started to feel the impact of the recent oil price hikes. Every time fuel prices go up, it makes me reconsider if it’s still practical to keep driving,” Peña said.

Peña also expressed concern for transport workers who are absorbing rising fuel costs despite the absence of fare increases so far.

“For example, a P10 increase in fuel is already almost equivalent to one passenger fare for a jeepney driver, so that’s already a big loss for them every day,” he noted.

For some students, the impact has already become evident in their everyday transportation expenses. Francesca Mae Ronquillo from the School of Business and Accountancy (SBA) shared her experience while commuting.

“I ride the tricycle as my main transportation for school. Yesterday, when I arrived home and gave the driver the usual fare (P40 for a ride that’s a little less than a kilometer), he said ‘40? Eh ang taas na ng gasolina ngayon,’ before he eventually turned and drove away,” Ronquillo said.

She explained that situations like this make budgeting allowances more difficult for students.

“I do understand the hike, but I could not simply determine the right amount to give. I would’ve appreciated it if I was told what was proper so that I could compensate them accordingly. With that, we might experience difficulties in budgeting our allowances,” she added.

Meanwhile, Kim Clauie Mallari from the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) said the conflict highlighted the impact of international crises in the fuel economy.

“Dahil dito, mas narealize ko na important maging aware lahat sa nangyayari hindi lang sa Pilipinas, kahit sa ibang bansa, kasi kahit ang layo ng war satin, we still got affected by it,” Mallari said.

She added that the fuel price increase may soon affect public transportation fares.

“So far, ang nakita ko palang naging effect nito is sa pagtaas ng price sa mga gas, so I think nakakaapekto talaga siya sa pag-commute ko in the future. Baka tumaas ang bayad sa mga public vehicle,” she explained.

Similarly, first-year School of Computing (SOC) student Amber Liah Esguerra said she noticed the sudden increase in gasoline prices but has yet to experience fare adjustments in public transportation.

“When I learned the exact prices of the oil, I was shocked that it spiked to that amount. As someone that commutes from San Fernando to Angeles City, I haven’t felt the increase in jeepney fare so far, but I do feel like they will increase soon,” Esguerra said.

Meanwhile, fellow SOC student Darylle James Caballa said the oil price hikes have already placed pressure on his family’s daily expenses.

“The increase of oil prices has been a stressful situation for my family because we use our family car every day for travel and errands,” Caballa said.

“After knowing about the oil price increase, we thought about limiting our car use just so that we can save up on gas,” he added.

4-day workweek offers ‘limited relief’

Some students acknowledged that the university’s four-day workweek implementation could slightly ease transportation expenses by reducing travel days.

Peña noted that fewer days on campus could mean lower fuel spending.

“Since we only have to go to school four days a week, that means one less day of spending on transportation, whether I drive or commute. It doesn’t completely remove the impact of the oil price hikes, but it somehow lessens the burden because we’re not traveling to school as often,” he said.

Francette Angela Franco, also from SAS, shared a similar view, saying that the policy may help reduce fuel consumption across the university community.

“Since this is a university-wide mandate, it can significantly help others reduce the oil usage needed to transport students,” she explained.

Mallari also pointed out that the arrangement could benefit commuting students.

“For students like me who commute, mababawasan yung gastos namin sa pamasahe,” she said.

However, some students believe the policy alone may not be enough to fully address the economic impact of rising fuel prices.

“HAU took immediate action this time, and I do hope that this setup will indeed reduce the effect of the oil price hike in general. I would also like to add that I am hoping for much consideration and understanding from the higher-ups with students and employees alike who are deeply affected by the situation,” said Ronquillo.

Meanwhile, Esguerra argued that broader solutions are still needed beyond institutional policies.

“Although the policy is a good thing to do because it means our university is aware of what’s happening in international affairs, it will take more effort than just our university exercising this policy for me to feel the reduction of oil prices,” she said.

Fuel hikes strain PH economy

According to the latest report from the Department of Energy (DOE), retailers are set to increase fuel prices this week by P7 to P13 per liter for gasoline, P17.50 to P24.25 for diesel, and P32.00 to P38.50 for kerosene, which reflects continuing instability in the global oil market.

In a research note by Nomura Global Markets Research, every 10 percent increase in global oil prices could result in a 0.5 percent increase in the country’s inflation rate, as higher transport and logistics costs drive commodity prices upward.

As the Philippines relies on 90% of its oil supply from imports, fluctuations in global crude supply directly translate into higher domestic costs, making Filipino consumers more vulnerable to price shocks.

For Filipino households, this means higher transportation expenses, more expensive food, and increased electricity generation costs.

As of press time, transportation fares have seen minimal increases, with no concrete or formal fare adjustment policy implemented among jeepney and tricycle operators in Angeles City and the City of San Fernando.