23/03/2026
Did you know that during President Noynoy Aquino's time, the price of oil in the world market was high, between $100 and $110 per barrel. But even with those high prices, gasoline and diesel at local pumps in the country were still relatively affordable.
Under President Duterte, world oil prices went up and down, from a low of $41 to a high of $101 per barrel. The big jump to $101 in 2022 happened because of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Now, under the current president, world oil prices have gone up again to around $107 to $108 per barrel.
The interesting part is that when you compare the Aquino years to today, the world oil prices are almost the same. But back then, Filipinos felt the price hike less and were not as burdened when buying fuel. This shows that when a government is clean, honest, and managed well, it can protect ordinary people from the full impact of global economic problems.