The Marcos administration has lowered port and toll fees to mitigate oil price shocks from Middle East tensions, Malacañang announced yesterday. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto urged national agencies and local governments to help truckers of farm produce benefit from the toll and port fee holiday to ease food and transport costs.
Malacañang announced the reductions in port and toll fees as part of efforts to counter the impact of oil price increases triggered by Middle East conflict. Recto emphasized assisting all stakeholders in the food supply chain, including ships for inter-island transport.
The Maritime Industry Authority cut regulatory fees by up to 75 percent, covering vessel registration, accreditation, safety certificates, and covering permits. The annual tonnage fee is now P1 per gross tonnage for Philippine-registered vessels above 15 gross tonnage for 2025, payable in 2026, with full exemption for those 15 and below. It also suspended its January fee schedule from April 20, effective for a year or during the national energy emergency.
The Philippine Ports Authority reduced roll-on, roll-off terminal fees to P1 for vehicles carrying agricultural goods starting April 10, down from P258 to P516 previously. Tollway operators waived fees for Department of Agriculture-accredited cargo trucks, projecting over P100 million in savings.
Department of Agriculture spokesman Arnel de Mesa said consumers could see price stabilization or declines within the week due to transport savings of P1,300 to P6,000 per trip. The DA is expanding its Food Lane program to over 4,000 trucks from 1,162, with simplified digital registration, same-day approvals, and RFID for seamless toll access, prioritizing regions like Central Luzon and Calabarzon.
