The P5,000 fuel subsidy currently being offered is, to put it bluntly, a token of misplaced priorities. For a jeepney driver traversing the streets of Bacolod from sunrise to sunset, that amount is exhausted in less than a week. It is not a solution; it is a distraction.
In this edition of Grace and Governance, we call upon the City Government of Bacolod—specifically the Executive and the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP)—to move beyond “band-aid” politics and exercise the full weight of local autonomy to protect our transport sector and, by extension, every commuting Bacolodnon.
Governance is the art of prioritizing the essential over the ornamental. We see tens of millions of pesos allocated for festivals, “non-essential” infrastructure, and beautification projects that look good on social media but do nothing to lower the cost of a kilo of rice or a jeepney fare.
When the “City of Smiles” sees its transport workers grimacing under the weight of P80-per-liter fuel, the smile becomes a mask for systemic neglect. If the city can find the budget for non-urgent expenditures, it can certainly find the “political will” to create a Local Fuel Stabilization Subvention.
PROPOSED ACTIONS: DIRECT INTERVENTION
We are not merely complaining; we are proposing a roadmap for Direct Governance:
1. The Local Fuel Price “Buffer” Fund
The City should pass an emergency ordinance establishing a Price Trigger Fund. When diesel prices exceed a specific threshold (e.g., P75/liter), the city should provide a “top-up” subsidy directly at the pump for registered Bacolod PUVs.
The Mechanism: Partner with local “independent” fuel players to offer a “Bacolod Terminal Discount” of P5-P10 per liter, subsidized by the city’s calamity or economic contingency funds.
2. Institutionalizing the “Public Transport Fuel Hub”
Instead of letting drivers be at the mercy of global oil giants, the city can use its procurement power. The SP should authorize the creation of a city-facilitated fuel depot or a partnership with a cooperative-led fuel station that sells fuel at cost to registered public utility vehicles. By removing the retail profit margin, we provide an immediate, sustainable discount.
3. Moratorium on Local Regulatory Fees
While fuel prices are high, the City should implement a one-year moratorium on local permit fees, terminal fees, and supervision fees for PUJs and tricycles. This is a “zero-cost” way for the government to leave more money in the pockets of drivers without needing a complex disbursement system.
4. The “Commuter Protection” Subsidy
To prevent fare hikes that hurt the poorest students and workers, the city should consider a Direct Fare Subsidy. By providing “transport vouchers” to vulnerable sectors (students, PWDs, and seniors), the city ensures that drivers get paid their full due while the public is shielded from the sting of inflation.
A CALL TO THE MAYOR AND THE SP
To Mayor Greg Gasataya and the honorable members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod: The time for “studying the matter” has passed. A leader’s legacy is not written in the concrete of new plazas, but in the security of the people’s livelihoods. When you sit in your air-conditioned offices to deliberate the 2026 supplemental budget, remember the driver who skips a meal so his jeepney can have ten more liters of diesel. Remember the mother who has to choose between her daughter’s fare to school and a tray of eggs.
We demand Sure Action, not “token” assistance. If the city government continues to prioritize non-essential spending while our transport backbone collapses, it is not just a failure of economics—it is a failure of empathy.
Intervene now. Intervene directly. Intervene strongly. The streets are watching.*
