Panay youth groups seek class suspension for strike

ILOILO CITY — Student councils, student publications and youth organizations across Panay submitted a letter to the Commission on Higher Education Region VI on Monday, Sept. 28, seeking support for the transport and people’s strike and urging action on rising fuel prices and the cost of living.

The groups submitted the letter between 9:30 and 10 a.m., following similar appeals sent to the presidents of West Visayas State University, Central Philippine University and the University of Iloilo.

After submitting the letter to CHED, the groups proceeded to Iloilo City Hall and the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to present their demands to local government officials.

The groups said suspending classes would allow students and members of the academic community to participate in the strike while expressing solidarity with workers, commuters and other sectors affected by rising fuel and commodity prices.

The mobilization comes as transport groups prepared protest actions amid sharp increases in pump prices, with PISTON announcing a nationwide strike for Sept. 29-30 and Manibela planning actions from Sept. 28-30.

The Department of Energy reported that for Sept. 15-21, gasoline prices increased by PHP 5.68 per liter, diesel by PHP 4.31 per liter and kerosene by PHP 4.62 per liter amid sustained increases in international oil prices.

The DOE also certified that the average Dubai crude oil price reached USD 99.41 per barrel from Aug. 13 to Sept. 11, exceeding the USD 80-per-barrel threshold under Republic Act No. 12316 for the government to consider temporarily reducing or suspending petroleum excise taxes.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. subsequently issued Executive Order No. 125 on Sept. 25 suspending excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene, subject to specified exemptions, while excise taxes on gasoline and diesel remained in place.

The student and youth groups said diesel prices in Panay had reached between PHP 101 and PHP 110.70 per liter, while gasoline prices ranged from PHP 87 to PHP 98 per liter.

They said the increases have placed additional pressure on jeepney drivers, whom they estimated are spending around PHP 1,000 more per day on operating expenses.

The groups attributed the continuing price increases to several factors, including international conflicts, oil speculation, the Oil Deregulation Law and taxes imposed on petroleum products.

They also cited the impact of higher transportation costs on commuters and consumers.

Official Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that inflation in Western Visayas accelerated to 8.4 percent in August 2026 from 7.8 percent in July.

Transport inflation in the region rose to 16.8 percent, while housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels posted an 8.9 percent inflation rate during the month.

Against this backdrop, the groups said workers’ wages remain inadequate to meet the rising cost of basic goods and services.

The groups called for a PHP 1,200 living wage for workers, along with a PHP 2,000 wage increase.

They also demanded the removal of value-added and excise taxes on fuel and basic goods, a rollback of fuel prices to PHP 55 per liter and the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law.

The groups further called for the nationalization of the oil industry, including a government buyback of Petron, and an end to U.S. military interventions and wars abroad.

They said the demands are intended to address the immediate burden of high fuel prices while pushing for broader changes in the country’s energy and economic policies.

The student and youth organizations said they would continue urging educational institutions and government officials to support the transport and people’s strike amid the continuing cost-of-living crisis.