LTFRB to recommend on possible fare hike next month amid fuel price volatility

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is expected to make a recommendation regarding proposals to increase commuter fares by October, amid the volatility of global fuel prices, a top official said Wednesday. According to Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez, he instructed the LTFRB to come up with a recommendation on a possible fare hike by next month, which he said gives enough time for the agency to weigh all the factors. “If we see that government initiatives are not doing enough to help transport groups, we will consider what we can do regarding fares,” he told reporters in an interview. “At the end of the day, the President has ordered that as much as possible, the problem should not be passed on to the commuters. It should be shouldered by the government and the Department of Transportation,” he added. Lopez’s remarks come as local fuel retailers have implemented back-to-back major pump price hikes. On Tuesday, September 15, prices per liter of gasoline increased by at least P5.00, diesel by P4.00, and kerosene by P4.60. Year-to-date adjustments stood at a net increase of P59.32 per liter for gasoline, P60.46 per liter for diesel, and P53.45 per liter for kerosene as of September 8, 2026. Transport group Manibela held a two-day nationwide strike this week, saying higher fuel prices have affected drivers’ earnings and forced them to spend a significant portion of their daily earnings on petroleum products. They are calling for concrete measures to ease such burdens. —VAL, GMA News