TALISAY CITY, Cebu — Shipping companies and ferry operators in the Visayas are imposing temporary fare and cargo surcharges as global oil prices surge as a result of the expanding war in the Middle East.
While one local ferry operator has canceled selected routes due to rising fuel costs, others continue operations but adjusted passenger fares, freight rates, and cargo tariffs to manage rising expenses.
Lite Shipping Corp. will implement a temporary fuel surcharge on all passenger fares and freight rates starting March 11, 2026.
The company said, “This measure is necessary to help offset the rising fuel costs and to ensure the continued safe and reliable operation of our vessels.” Management assured passengers that it will lift the surcharge once fuel prices stabilize.
Medallion Transport Inc. will impose a temporary fuel surcharge on passenger fares and cargo rates starting March 10.
The company described the measure as a difficult but necessary step to sustain operations during volatile times.
Trans-Asia Shipping Lines will apply a 20 percent fuel surcharge on passenger fares effective March 9 and on cargo rates starting March 11.
The company said rates remain fluid due to market volatility and cited escalating tensions in the Middle East, which have limited fuel availability and increased maritime operating costs.
Gabisan Shipping Lines Inc. announced additional temporary surcharges after local diesel prices rose.
The company said it will implement a temporary “fuel crisis charge” on freight and passenger services starting March 11.
The advisory detailed increases of P120 on all passenger fares, P1,000 on RORO service, P200 on motorcycle fares, and 20 percent on each loose cargo tariff.
It added that the adjustments aim to sustain regular operations amid expected further fuel cost increases.
Earlier this week, Roble Shipping Inc. and Super Shuttle Ferry raised fares on March 9.
Roble Shipping said, “Our main priority is to keep serving the riding public safely and reliably,” while Super Shuttle Ferry implemented a 20-percent adjustment across all branches to maintain safe and dependable service amid rising fuel costs.
OceanJet temporarily suspended several passenger trips connecting Cebu City with parts of Leyte and Bohol from March 6 to March 20, including routes between Cebu and Palompon, Palompon and Cebu, and Cebu and Getafe, citing the ongoing fuel crisis. The company has not indicated when normal operations will resume.
Last week, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) authorized domestic shipping companies and maritime stakeholders to implement contingency measures to address the potential impact of the escalating Middle East crisis on the maritime industry.
Marina Administrator Sonia Malaluan said the measures are intended to ensure that domestic maritime transport remains stable despite global disruptions.
“Marina is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East and its potential effects on global fuel prices and shipping operations. Through these contingency measures, we aim to ensure the continued movement of passengers and essential goods across the country while providing necessary support to the domestic shipping industry during this period of uncertainty,” Malaluan said.
Under the advisory, shipping companies may implement operational adjustments, subject to Marina approval, including the consolidation or reduction of trips to optimize vessel capacity and fuel consumption. Shipping operators may also implement fuel surcharges or fare adjustments of up to 20 percent of the base fare, while any increase beyond this threshold will remain subject to Marina’s evaluation. Once the crisis is over, operators must remove any fuel surcharge and revert to pre-crisis passenger and cargo rates, Marina said.
Profiteers warned
As the country grappled with rising fuel prices, the Palace warned that the government would take legal action against profiteers and hoarders taking advantage of the crisis in the Middle East.
In a briefing in New York on the sidelines of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s engagements in the United Nations (UN) late Monday night, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro reiterated that the government will not hesitate to go after those who are found guilty of unscrupulous practices, especially in the middle of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices.
“There is a law against hoarding and profiteering,” Castro told reporters in Filipino.
“If you are caught violating the law, caught hoarding or taking action or engaging in profiteering, the government will not spare you because you will be sued and charged.” Pump prices on Tuesday rose by double digits with gasoline prices up by as much as P10.20 a liter, diesel by as much as P24.25 a liter, and kerosene by as much as P38.50 a liter.
Castro earlier reported that the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a show-cause order to 54 gasoline stations for allegedly hiking prices prematurely.
“The president’s call is for us to unite. Amid what is happening now in the Middle East, we should unite and work together.... If you take advantage, you will be in trouble. You will be sued and you may be deprived of the opportunity to do business,” she said.
She said the Palace is in close coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Finance (DOF) for the next steps regarding Marcos’ request to Congress to grant him emergency powers to reduce the excise tax on fuel and ease the burden of consumers.
Castro appealed to the public to not panic and assured them that the country has adequate supplies of fuel and essential goods despite rising oil prices amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Sen. Francis Escudero, meanwhile, called for the strict enforcement of laws against fuel hoarding and profiteering, warning that opportunists must not be allowed to exploit the ongoing crisis.
Escudero urged government regulators to intensify monitoring of petroleum supply and prices to protect consumers from artificial shortages and unjustified price increases that could worsen the financial burden on Filipino families.
“Enforcement must be swift, decisive, and unforgiving to send a strong message that economic sabotage will not be tolerated,” Escudero said.
The lawmaker emphasized that fuel hoarding and profiteering are forms of economic sabotage that weaken the country’s ability to withstand external shocks and disproportionately harm vulnerable sectors such as public transport drivers, market vendors, and low-income households.
Petroleum supply, he said, should be treated as a matter of national security, especially during periods of geopolitical instability that could affect the global energy market.
Sen. Mark Villar expressed concern over the recent surge in global oil prices, warning that a sharp increase in domestic fuel costs could place additional strain on Filipino households and key sectors of the economy.
Villar said the government must explore additional measures to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices, particularly on the transportation and agriculture sectors, which are highly dependent on petroleum products.
WITH KRISTINA MARALIT AND JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
