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LPG to cost P9.50/k more Leads projected oil price increases, gas at P1.40/l, diesel at P1/l
By Alena Mae S. Flores
PRICE CHANGE.
A gas station attendant swaps the tiles denoting the prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks in Manila in this file photo. An industry source said prices will likely go up by about P9.50 per kilo on February 1 due to the higher contract price of the cooking gas.
OOKING gas or liquefied petroleum gas prices will likely go up by about P9.50 per kilo on February 1 due to the higher contract price of LPG, an industry source said.
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A P9.50 per kilo increase translates to an increase of P104.50 per 11-kilo tank used primarily by households. The Standard source estimates an increase of about $157 per metric ton of LPG, but the final price will
be announced on Jan. 31. LPG is sold from P824 to P990 per 11-kilo tank in Metro Manila, with prices depending on the brand, outlet, and market forces. This developed after fuel pump Next page
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 348• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 MONDAY, MONDAY JANUARY 30, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Jeepney drivers’ daily take home income drops to P300 FOLLOWING the streak of rising fuel prices, public utility jeepney drivers are only now able to take home from P300 to P400 of their daily income to their families, a transport group said Sunday. Mody Floranda, national president of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON), expressed this in an interview on radio dzBB, saying their daily income is far from the estimated family living wage of around P1,100. “Due to the series of fuel price increases, our earnings of P400 to P500 before are now decreasing even more. We are almost back to taking home
STO. NINO DEVOTION. Catholic devotees arrange various Sto. Niño images in preparation for a parade in Pasay City on Sunday. The city government closed roads for the procession as the last Sunday of January marks the annual feast of the Child Jesus. Norman Cruz
House bill allows PBBM to hold PhilHealth rate hike By Rio N. Araja LEADERS of the House of Representatives, headed by Speaker Martin Romualdez, have filed an urgent bill seeking to empower President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to suspend the increase in premiums of “direct contributors” of the
Philippine Health Insurance Corp., including its employees. Romualdez said daily wage earners and many employees, who comprise the majority of PhilHealth members, could save P50 a month or P600 a year from their health insurance premium payment if the adjustment would be suspended.
“Those earning more will naturally save more,” he added. Authors of House Bill No. 6772 noted that the suspension of the adjustment would remove an added financial burden on millions of government and private sector workers, professionals, Next page
P300 to P400 to our families, which is far from the living wage of a family of five to survive,” he said. Fuel pump prices are expected to go up starting Tuesday for the third week in a row. Unioil Petroleum Philippines said over the weekend diesel will likely go up by P0.80 to P1.00 per liter and gasoline by P1.20 to P1.40 per liter (see related story on A1 – Editors). Floranda said that based on a study by the independent research group IBON Foundation, a family needs P1,133 per day. “This is not to make their lives easier, Next page
Smuggled frozen chicken meat blamed for egg supply shortage By Rio N. Araja THE influx of smuggled frozen chicken meat is causing domestic farms to reduce poultry populations, resulting in lower supply levels and higher retail prices for eggs, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said. “The egg problem is partly an offspring of the chicken problem. Traders abusing prices appears to be the leading cause, but I cannot discount the fact that the decline in the population of chickens is also to
blame for this,” he said. “There is definitely a connection between ensuring that imported chicken meat tariffs are imposed and keeping our domestic egg sector viable. We can import frozen chicken meat, but eggs are much harder to import, so we need a good domestic supply base. So, we really need to stamp down the abuses in the trading sector, and to ensure that we have enough egg supply,” he stressed. Next page
18k nurses took US board exam in 2022 No cover-up By Rio N. Araja and Willie Casas THE number of Philippine-educated nurses that took the US licensure exam for the first time in 2022 was the highest in 14 years, a lawmaker said Sunday. A total of 18,617 nursing graduates from the Philippines took the US licen-
MARCOS OKAYS VAT REFUND FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS NEWS / A2
sure examination in hopes of practicing their profession in the United States, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on higher and technical education, said in a news release. “In 2022, we had the highest number of Philippine-educated nurses taking the Next page
PBBM, SENATORS TO DISCUSS PLANS TO SPUR GROWTH NEWS / A2
in drug war probe—DOJ
By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Sunday denied suggestions that he was shielding former President Rodrigo Duterte from the reopened International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into his bloody war on drugs. “We are not covering up for anyone here. If the ICC has evidence they want to share with us that would help in the investigation, why not? Why do they need to try it in their court? We have our own court here,” Remulla
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EXOTIC PETS. Animal lovers and enthusiasts display their pets at an exotic pet show on Sunday at the SMX convention center in Pasay City. Danny Pata