Fuel discount could reach up to P17/L in some gas stations, LTFRB says

By Aaron Recuenco

Published Aug 16, 2026 03:37 pm

LTFRB chairman Vigor D. Mendoza II talks with a gas station employee during the first day of the nationwide implementation of the P12 per liter fuel discount on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 for passenger jeepneys and UV Express. (photo: LTFRB)

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) vowed to expedite the payment process to participating gas stations as the national government started the implementation of the P12 per liter fuel discount on Saturday, Aug. 15.

LTFRB chairman Vigor D. Mendoza II said he also instructed all the agency’s regional offices to continuously monitor and submit reports of the status of the fuel discount program in their areas of responsibility.

“The instruction is for all of us in the LTFRB to be responsive in immediately addressing whatever concerns that may come in the implementation,” said Mendoza.

Part of it, he said, is the LTFRB’s prompt action on all the documentary requirements for the immediate payment to the participating gas stations across the country,“ We are now preparing the credit memos so we can pay gas stations without delay.”

President Marcos earlier extended and increased the fuel subsidy discount—from P10 to P12 per liter covering jeepneys and UV Express, two of the most patronized public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the country.

During his visit to gas stations in Metro Manila on Saturday, Mendoza said jeepney drivers also informed him that they also get additional discounts in some gasoline stations through loyal customer promotion.

This is on top of the government’s fuel subsidy program.

Mendoza said the maximum discount per liter in the loyal customer program is as high as P5 per liter—which means that jeepney and UV Express operators could get as high as P17 per liter discount.

Currently, the price range of gas stations that were visited is between P81 to P89 per liter and with the discount and the loyal customer promo, he said the discount will drop to P64 to P72 per liter.

Over 143,000 jeepney and UV Express units were already listed in the fuel discount program in over 5,000 gas stations across the country.

Based on the guideline, jeepney and UV Express operators could avail of a maximum of 150 liters discounted petroleum products every week, or a savings of around P1,800 every week.

All the drivers would do is to give the license plate before gassing up and the discount is automatically deducted.

Four more mild quakes hit Sarangani; Phivolcs releases updated intensities

 

By Aaron Recuenco

Published Jun 8, 2026 09:23 am

At least four more earthquakes jolted Sarangani shortly after a 7.8 magnitude quake hit the coast of the province on Monday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The epicenter of the strong tremor that shook the province at 7:37 a.m. was located near Maasim town and triggered a tsunami warning for residents in the coastal areas of western and central parts of Mindanao.

The second quake, which is believed to be an aftershock, was felt at 8:18 a.m. with a magnitude of 3.7, the epicenter located near Balut Island of Saragani.

At 8:35 a.m., a 1.9 magnitude quake struck anew and its epicenter was located in Malapatan of the same province. Intensity II was felt in General Santos City and Intensity 1 in Kiamba town.

A few minutes later or at 8:44 a.m., another tremor measuring 2.5 in the Richter scale was recorded in Gian town, also in Sarangani. This was followed by another quake measuring 1.9 magnitude, with the epicenter located near the same town of the province.

Reported intensities

Shortly after releasing a report of the earthquake, Phivolcs reported an updated advisory on the reported intensities felt during the 7.8 magnitude quake that hit Sarangani.

Reported intensities refers to the measures of the specific strength and effects of an earthquake at a particular geographic location.

It is based on human observations and structural damage rather than the total energy released at its source

According to Phivolcs, the strongest ground shake was felt in General Santos City with Intensity VII followed by Palimbang and Senator Ninyo Aquino towns in Sultan Kudarat with Intensity VI.

Intensity V was felt in Davao City; Kidapawan City and Carmen town of Cotabato; Bagumbayan, Kalamansig and President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat; and Sibuco, and Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte.

Intensity IV, on the other hand, was felt in Mati City in Davao Oriental; Buug in Zamboanga Sibugay; and Caraga, Manay and Tarragano in Davao Oriental; Kumalarang and Vincenzo Sagun in Zamboanga del Sur, felt Intensity III tremor.

Intensity II was recorded in Dipolog City, Labason, Liloy, President Manuel A. Roxas, and Salug, in Zamboanga del Norte; Alicia, Ipil, Mabuhay, Olutanga, and Siay, in Zamboanga Sibugay; Molave in Zamboanga del Sur.

Intensity II was also felt in Abuyog, and Dulag in Leyte and San Francisco in Southern Leyte.

Instrumental intensities

Instrumental intensity refers to the measured physical strength of an earthquake at a specific location. It is calculated objectively using data from scientific instruments like seismometers or accelerometers.

And according to Phivolcs, Intensity VIII was felt in Malapatan, Sarangani and Intensity VII in Koronadal City and Santa Maria in Davao Occidental.

Intensity VI was felt in General Santos City and T'boli, South Cotabato.

Intensity V in Maasim,Sarangani; Santo Niño, and Surallah, South Cotabato; Isulan,

Lebak, and President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat; Davao City; Digos City and Magsaysay in Davao del Sur.

Intensity IV in Kiamba, Malungon, in Sarangani; Banga, and Tupi in South Cotabato; Magpet and M'lang in Cotabato; Bagumbayan, and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat; Nabunturan in Davao de Oro; and. Zamboanga City.

Intensity III in Tantangan, South Cotabato; Columbio, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat; Alamada, Banisilan, Carmen, President Roxas in Cotabato; Kalilangan in Bukidnon; City of Gingoog in Misamis Oriental.

Intensity II in Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur; Tubod in Lanao del Norte; City of Malaybalay, and Libona in Bukidnon; Molave, Zamboanga del Sur; Cagayan de Oro City; Sindangan in Zamboanga del Norte; and, Balingasag in Misamis Oriental.

Intensity I in Malitbog Bukidnon and Magsaysay in Misamis Oriental.

Over 3-M seaport, airport passengers expected as Holy Week exodus starts

BY AARON RECUENCO

Apr 13, 2025 11:19 AM

  

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Authorities are expecting around three million passengers in various seaports and at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as Filipinos start the annual Holy Week travel to take advantage of the long holiday break for religious activity, vacation and bonding with friends and relatives.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said they expect 1.73 million passengers in various ports across the country from April 14 to 20 this year, a 3.5 percent increase from the 1.67 passengers recorded last year. 

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said that in the first three weeks of March alone, passenger numbers have already reached 3,027,881, or an average of 1,009,294 passengers per week. 

“For Holy Week, port passenger traffic is expected to peak, nearing pre-pandemic figures, with an estimated 1,729,426 travelers utilized port facilities during the Lenten season,” said Santiago. 

Based on the PPA analysis, the top five ports this Lenten season include the Port Management Offices (PMO) of Batangas with around 20,000-25,000 daily average passengers during peak season.

The Port Management Office Mindoro is on the second spot with highest number of expected passengers, PMO Panay/Guimaras still on the third spot same as last year, PMO Negros Orriental/ Siquijor, and the PMO Bohol on the fifth spot with most number of passengers during peak season. 

Santiago said they already initiated measures in anticipation of the influx of passengers starting Monday as part of the “OPLAN Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa 2025.”

The preparations include the conduct of maintenance checks on critical infrastructure, placing standby generator sets for uninterrupted power supply, water systems, and ventilation to mitigate the effects of El Niño and rising temperatures this Lenten season. 

“We are prepared for the increased number of passengers this Holy Week 2025, especially as the Lenten Season coincides with summer, most of our local travelers are really taking advantage of this long days of day-off and for some tourists it is also a great time to explore our islands via sea travel,” said Santiago.  

He said they also mobilized additional personnel and enhanced terminal operations across key ports and optimized passenger terminal facilities to ensure the functionality of security and safety equipment.

He said they also deployed port police for crowd control and assistance.

Santiago said help desks have been established in major ports nationwide for immediate information concerns of travelers along with the port police and representatives from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for a seamless travel experience.  

“With the adequate manpower, appropriate facilities, and back-up systems placed in ports, we can assure the public that we are ready for the influx but then again, it is the peak season so we appeal to our passengers to book their tickets ahead of time and allot extra hours for travel going to the ports,” said Santiago.

NAIA ready 

For its part, the new NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said it is expecting more than 1.18 million passengers from April 13 to 20.

                                              photo: NNIC

NNIC General Manager Angelito Alvarez said the expected passenger volume is 14.23 percent higher from last year’s 1.04 million.

Alvarez said they also expect flight movements to increase from 6,537 in 2024 to 6,724 this year, with Good Friday, April 18, is expected to be the busiest day, with 851 flights, while Tuesday, April 15, will see the lightest traffic at 818 flights. 

He said they already initiated measures in anticipation of higher volume of passengers, including setting up of assistance desks that will be manned by airport personnel, medical teams, and uniformed officers.  

Additional traffic aides, according to Alvarez, will be deployed to manage curbside and parking flow, while improved Wi-Fi connectivity ensures passengers can stay connected.

“These measures build on the operational improvements made during NNIC’s first six months at NAIA. These include the deployment of more passenger boarding bridges, upgraded security and baggage systems, expanded transport and parking areas, new air-conditioning units, and more reliable power supply,” said Alvarez.

“CCTV systems now cover the entire baggage handling process, further strengthening safety and transparency,” he added.

Mindanao quake damage now at almost P1-B, NDRRMC says

BY AARON RECUENCO

Dec 13, 2023 09:43 AM

  

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The damage to agriculture and infrastructure as a result of the 7.4 magnitude quake that hit Mindanao early this month is now at almost P1 billion, reports reaching the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) revealed on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

In a situation report released on Wednesday, the NDRRMC said the damage to infrastructure is at P837.5 million, almost all of them are in the Caraga region while the rest were reported in Davao Region.

For agriculture damage, it said the report from National Irrigation Administration (NIA) was at P91 million while P19.2 million in agriculture products as reported by the Department of Agriculture.

In the same data, it said a total of 177,689 families composed of 790,773 individuals, some of them lost their homes as the NDRRMC reported that there were 354 damaged houses and 5,442 houses were partially damaged.

The epicenter of the earthquake was traced in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and so far, it has already triggered a total of 7,444 aftershocks.

There were three reported fatalities, including a pregnant woman, and 74 people who suffered injuries, although the NDRRMC said they are yet to validate the casualty reports from the field.

Power consumers welcome Senate probe into frequent power outage in Samal Island

BY AARON RECUENCO

May 23, 2023 08:54 AM

  

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Power consumers in the Island Garden City of Samal welcomed the investigation into the alleged failure of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO) to provide adequate services, which they said, resulted in frequent power outages that affected their livelihood and way of life.

The Senate probe, through the  Committee on Energy, will start on May 24 following the commitment of Senator Raffy Tulfo to look into the complaints of the power consumers. Senators Win Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva and Grace Poe will be present during the inquiry.

“We have been experiencing a series of energy crisis. After Occidental Mindoro and Panay Island, now it is Samal Island,” said Tulfo.

As far as he is concerned, Tulfo said the root cause of the power failure in Samal Island is NORDECO’s alleged antiquated submarine cable, which he discovered was installed in the 1980s or 43 years ago, and could no longer cover the entire capacity of the island.

On average, the power outage in the area reportedly lasts up seven to eight hours during peak load and two to three hours during off peak, daily, a problem which was raised since last year.

The power supply problem in the Samal Island, a known tourist spot, has been affecting the local tourism in the area as reported by a local government official. 

And now that Samal Island is frequented by tourists, its peak demand went up from three megawatts (MW) to 9MW due to the rise of establishment such as resorts, restaurants and markets.

It can be noted that Samal Island is connected to the Pantukan Grid via a submarine cable owned by NORDECO, formerly known as Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Daneco). 

Currently, Samal is connected to mainland via a 1-kilometer submarine cable to Davao City. The cable is owned by NORDECO but it has not upgraded that submarine cable since the 1980s. The submarine cable is installed in 1980s or 43 years ago, and it can no longer cover the entire capacity of the island. 

Instead, NORDECO is proposing to build a 15-kilometer submarine cable costing 1.5 Billion Pesos to connect Samal and Pantukan town, with one of its officials saying that it will solve the power woes in the Samal Island. 

Presently, the Mindoro Grid Corporation (MGC) can provide 6.962MW electricity in the island while NORDECO can provide 3MW. In total, there is only 6.12MW supply in the island with a demand of 9MW.

The power supply problem, and the alleged high power rate as Nordeco has been charging P3 to P4 more compared to its neighboring areas, has prompted local officials to seek for measures to stabilize the electricity supply in the area.

In seeking for investigation, Tulfo earlier underscored the need to ensure that there would be a provision in the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) requiring replacement power, through modular gensets, for all power providers to ensure reliable electric service.

He added that the said agreement should also include the requirement for “causer’s pay” clause so the consumers will not be required to pay for gensets. In turn, the party with mistakes are the ones responsible to pay for power service.

LTO to launch electronic version of driver's license

BY AARON RECUENCO

May 8, 2023 10:08 AM

  

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The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is set to launch an electronic version of driver’s license in what it described as a continuing effort to digitalize all its services.

In partnership with the the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the digital license will serve as an electronic alternative to the physical driver's license card, according to LTO chief JayArt Tugade.

"The advantage of the digital license is that motorists can present it to law enforcement officers during apprehension. It is equivalent to presenting the physical driver's license," said Tugade.

“We also appreciate the way the super app functions similarly to a wallet, containing all government IDs, among other things, within your mobile device,” he added.

The digital license is part of the agreement between the LTO and the DICT in March this year that focuses on enhancing the digitalization of systems and processes within the LTO, ultimately improving its overall efficiency and effectiveness.

The digital license, according to Tugade, will be integrated into the "super app" currently being developed by the DICT. 

He explained that the digital license aims to replace the Official Receipt (OR) as temporary driver's license currently printed on paper.

“The public will be able to utilize the digital license for various transactions with the agency, including license and registration renewals as well as online payments,” said Tugade.
 
Amid concerns on the security of the digital license, Tugade assured the public that the existing security features of the driver's license would be integrated into the digital version, in addition to the “super app's” security measures.

By simplifying the transactions in the LTO, Tugade said this would help in finally convincing its clients not to tap the services of the fixers.

And in digitalizing more LTO services, he said this would ultimately aid the agency in eradicating corruption.

Flights cancelled, more flight delays expected as power outage hits NAIA anew

BY AARON RECUENCO

May 1, 2023 08:25 AM

  

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The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was hit with another power outage early morning of Monday, May 1, which is reminiscent of the New Year’s Day technical glitch that caused blackout and led to hundreds of thousands of passengers being stranded due to flight cancellations.

In a statement, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said the power outage hit the NAIA Terminal 3 at 1:05 a.m. 

The power outage, according to the MIAA, forced the use of standby power in supplying electricity to critical facilities enabling computer systems of airlines and Immigration to function partially and enable processing of both inbound and outbound passengers.

“As a result, delayed flights shall be expected,” the statement read.

As of 8:10 a.m. at least 40 domestic flights were cancelled for the Cebu Pacific alone based on the latest flight advisory released at 8:10 a.m. They are:

5J 504/503 Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila
5J 325/326 Manila-Daraga-Manila
5J 383/384 Manila-Cagayan-Manila
5J 196/197 Manila- Cauayan-Manila
5J 703/704 Manila-Dipolog-Manila
5J 637/638 Manila- Puerto Princesa-Manila
5J 911/912 Manila- Caticlan-Manila
5J 553/554 Manila-Cebu-Manila
5J 617/618 Manila- Panglao-Manila
5J 483/484 Manila- Bacolod-Manila
5J 951/952 Manila-Davao-Manila
5J 793/794 Manila- Butuan-Manila
5J 859/860    Manila- Zamboanga-Manila
5J 993/994 Manila- General Santos-Manila
5J 781/782 Manila- Ozamiz-Manila
5J 909/910 Manila-Caticlan-Manila
5J 449/450 Manila-Iloilo-Manila
5J 659/660 Manila-Tacloban-Manila
5J 887/888 Manila- Cotabato-Manila
5J 773/774 Manila- Pagadian-Manila

But the MIAA said its Engineering team is now looking into the cause of power failure along with technical personnel from Meralco. 

“The MIAA Management apologizes to air travellers for the inconvenience that the situation may have brought to them,” the statement read.

“MIAA operations personnel are now continuously doing the rounds of Terminal 3 to provide assistance to passengers and answer inquiries they might have,” it added.

LTO sets maximum fees for driving courses, allows opening of more driving schools

BY AARON RECUENCO

Mar 22, 2023 11:36 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The maximum prescribed fees for both Theoretical and Practical Driving Courses are P3,500 for motorcycles and P5,000 for light vehicles

• The new fees will take effect on April 15, 2023

• The LTO also allows filing of application for individuals and groups that wish to open driving schools in the country

• Currently, there are 1,400 driving schools in the Philippines

• photos: LTO

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Barely a month after committing to address the high fees being charged by driving schools to their clients, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) issued on Wednesday, March 22, maximum fees that should be charged for both the theoretical and practical driving courses.

From the range of P9,000 to P15,000 before, LTO chief Jose Arturo “JayArt” Tugade said the fees for both the Theoretical Driving Course (TDC) and Practical Driving Course (PDC) were cut by over 50 percent.

TDC focuses more on classroom discussion on the rules and regulations on road safety while PDC focuses on actual driving. 

Based on the guidelines issued by the Technical Working Group of the LTO headed by Kathleen Deann Salayog, the maximum prescribed payment for both the TDC for motorcycles (Driving License Codes A and A1)  and light vehicles (DL Codes B, B1, B2) is P1,000.

For PDC, the maximum fee for motorcycles is P2,500 and P4,000 for light vehicles. 

Tugade said that if the driving schools offer a bundle or package for both the TDC and PDC, the maximum amount that should be charged must not exceed P3,500 for motorcycles and P5,000 for light vehicles.

The standardization of the payment of driving schools, according to Tugade, will be effective on April 15 this year.

“This is our response to numerous complaints that we have been receiving about the high fees and varying fees being charged by driving schools across the country. This is proof that we are listening to the people’s suggestions and complaints,” said Tugade in a press briefing.

Last month, Tugade committed to address the complaints regarding the high fees being charged by the driving schools—complaints that are also the subject of discussions in social media and prompted Pampanga 4th District Rep. Ana York Bondoc to call out the LTO for what she described as an anti-poor policy

The LTO only charges a minimal fee in securing driver’s license—P250 for student permit (P100 for application fee and P150 for student permit fee) and  P685 for the regular driver’s license (P585 for the license fee and P100 for application fee). 

But it is the mandatory requirement that those who want to secure a student permit and driver’s license must undergo Theoretical Driving Course (TDC) and Practical Driving Course (PDC) that resulted in an applicant shelling out P9,000 to P15,000—and even higher for some.

Why they agreed

Salayog said the guideline set by the LTO was based on their own study, including the cost of operating a driving school and prevailing inflation in various areas.

During the consultation they made, Salayog said there were some suggestions from the representatives of driving schools to raise the maximum fees—suggestions that were rejected since the LTO has its own study on the matter.

LTO Region 3 Director Glorioso Daniel Martinez said one of the reasons why the driving schools agreed to limit the maximum fees for both TDC and PDC is that they are now allowed to accept more applicants.

During the pandemic, he said the driving schools can only allow a maximum of 20 applicants.

“But with the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions, they can now accept a maximum of 40 students,” said Martinez.

The penalties 

The operation of driving schools in the country is governed by accreditation from the LTO.

In case there is a violation of the maximum fees for TDC and PDC, Tugade said the penalty for first offense is P50,000 and suspension of six months while the second offense has P100,000 penalty and one year suspension.

For the third offense, he said the penalty is revocation of the accreditation, which means that the driving schools which committed three violations would no longer be allowed to operate.

The catch 

While the LTO set the uniform maximum fees that should be charged by the driving schools nationwide, Tugade said there is a provision in the Omnibus Guideline that driving schools can appeal the fees.

The major consideration for the inclusion of the provision on review, he said, is that the prevailing inflation in a certain region must also be considered. 

Lifting of moratorium

In the press briefing, Tugade also announced that starting Thursday, March 23, the LTO will also lift the moratorium for the restriction in the opening of driving schools.

This means, he explained, that individuals and groups can start submitting applications to open driving schools.

Currently, Salayog said there are 1,400 driving schools operating across the country.