Oil, Price Hikes & Believers

In recent weeks we have seen yet another round of fuel price increases.

The Philippines is particularly sensitive to changes in global oil prices. The transport sector alone consumes around 65.5% of the country’s total oil, and 95.5% of the energy used in transport comes directly from petroleum products. Because of this, when fuel prices rise, jeepney, tricycle, and bus fares often follow quickly.

And the effects rarely stop there.

Farmers, farmworkers, and fisherfolk depend heavily on fuel for irrigation pumps, farming equipment, transportation of produce, and fishing vessels. When fuel prices rise, the cost of producing food rises as well, and those increases eventually appear in the prices families pay at the palengke.

Electricity costs can also be affected. Around 50-60% of electricity generation in the Philippines still depends on coal, and global energy disruptions can push coal prices higher, which then translates into higher power bills for households.

For lower income households, these pressures can be especially difficult. A larger share of their income already goes toward transportation, food, and electricity. When prices increase in these areas, the burden is felt disproportionately.

There are also broader concerns. Many Filipino families depend on remittances from loved ones working abroad, particularly in the Middle East, where about 40% of overseas Filipino workers are based, and from which around 18% of total remittances originate. Instability in that region can affect not only fuel supply but also the livelihood of families here at home.

The government has reassured the public that the country currently maintains about a 60-day fuel inventory; three times the minimum requirement—which provides some buffer against immediate supply disruptions. Programs such as fuel subsidies and libreng sakay initiatives are also being prepared to help cushion the impact on the transport sector, while longer-term efforts are encouraging a gradual shift toward electric or hybrid vehicles.

All of these realities remind us how interconnected our world has become. Events taking place thousands of kilometers away; whether conflict, trade disruptions, or geopolitical tensions; can quickly affect the daily lives of ordinary families here in the Philippines.

But as Christians, we are called to think about such moments not only economically, but biblically.

Scripture reminds us that even the movements of nations and the rise and fall of economies ultimately unfold under the providence of God.

Daniel 2:21

“He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings.”

This does not mean that economic hardships are easy or insignificant. Rising costs are real, and they affect real families. Yet Scripture helps us remember that the uncertainties of the world do not escape the sovereignty of God.

At the same time, these disruptions remind us of the fragility of the present world. The Bible tells us that creation itself still groans under the effects of the fall.

Romans 8:22

“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”

Economic instability, supply disruptions, and rising prices are all reminders that this world is not yet as it should be.

And yet, Scripture also gently redirects our hearts away from placing ultimate confidence in economic security.

1 Timothy 6:17

“Instruct those who are rich… not to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God.”

Markets rise and fall. Resources fluctuate. Economies change. But the believer’s hope rests not in the stability of markets, but in the faithfulness of God.

We are called to respond not with fear, but with wisdom, compassion, and faithfulness. For some, this may mean exercising greater stewardship and prudence. For others, it may mean helping neighbors, supporting those under greater financial strain, and remembering that the Christian life includes bearing one another’s burdens.

And for pastors and church leaders, moments like this remind us of our calling to shepherd God’s people carefully; helping them interpret the anxieties of the world through the lens of Scripture and the promises of Christ.

Ultimately, the believer remembers that while the economies of the world may be shaken, the kingdom of God is not.

Hebrews 12:28

“We receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken.”

And so even as we navigate rising costs, uncertain markets, and global instability, our deepest confidence remains the same: the Lord who governs the nations also cares for His people.

May these times not drive us toward anxiety, but toward deeper trust, greater wisdom, and renewed faithfulness to the God who holds all things in His hands.