Nelson Morales

A porter pushes a motorized delivery tricycle carrying vegetables as a truck pulls them from a deep puddle along Road 10 in Tondo, Manila on Monday. Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion expressed the need for the Philippine economy to "reopen with caution" to see how consumers and small businessmen would adjust to the new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Truckers warn of 'slowdown' as oil crisis crushes incomes

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

Philippine truckers may need to reduce operations if they start operating at a loss due to soaring oil prices.Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations vice president Rina Papa said truckers asked for a 30 percent increase in delivery rates during the first week of March but warned that they would still lose about 20 percent of their income even if clients approve the increase now.“Pagka umabot na sa hindi na kami kikita, palagay ko mapipilitan kaming mag-slow down, na ayaw namin gawin,” she said in a DZMM interview.Papa said there are no plans for a transport holiday for truckers, noting that trucking was the only transportation that was allowed to continue during the pandemic. “Halos hindi kami kumita noong panahon na iyon,” she said. She warned many industries will be affected if trucking operations grind to a halt. About 70-80 percent of truckers are small and medium enterprises, and not large conglomerates, she said.  “Mahihirapan po tayo pag trucking ang tumigil kasi apektado ang lahat. Sa ngayon, nababalitaan namin na may ilan nang commodity na nagkukulang sa mga grocery. May ilan na rin na pharmaceutical na nag-slow down sa paggawa ng gamot, manufacturing ng gamot,” she revealed.She also questioned why truckers were not included in cash subsidies, adding that government should consider looking at safety nets instead of charity for vulnerable sectors. “Nakikiusap kami na madaliin yung ibibigay na intervention ng ating gobyerno. Sabi po dapat maging resilient, magdasal. Tingin ko lahat yan kailangan pero pangunahin po kailangan natin ang gobyerno sa pagkakataon na ito,” she said.Several transport groups are set to conduct a transport strike on March 26 and  27 as oil price shocks shrink drivers’ incomes to as <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/23/another-transport-strike-set-on-march-26-27-0955">low as P50 to P200</a> ($0.83-$3.32) a day. Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena said some 500,000 public utility vehicle drivers nationwide will join the strike.Some bus companies have also cut down on number of trips to save fuel. <div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HrZ0aOthzRo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>President Ferdinand Marcos on Monday said he wants a cut in oil excise taxes to be “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/23/marcos-wants-oil-excise-tax-cut-enforced-immediately-palace-1055">enforced immediately</a>” even though he has yet to sign the policy as it involves a “very complicated calculation.”

Philippine truckers may need to slow down operations if they start operating at a loss due to soaring oil prices.

Philippine truckers may need to slow down operations if they start operating at a loss due to soaring oil prices.