“What happens when prices hit P100 plus?”
This was the concern of forensic scientist Raquel Fortun regarding the four-digit signage of gas stations amid the continued oil price hike.
Fortun tweeted this on Tuesday, June 21. This was also the same day several oil companies implemented another increase in the prices of their fuel products.
“If their signs are just for 4 digits, what happens when prices hit 100+? The decimal point moves to the right?” she asked.
Fortun also tweeted a photo of a gas station signage that showed prices ranging between P84 and P92.
If their signs are just for 4 digits, what happens when prices hit 100+? The decimal point moves to the right? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/WQVFOyUOIi
— Raquel Fortun (@Doc4Dead) June 21, 2022
She did not specify where the photo was taken and if she took it herself.
These rates seemed to be the range of retail pump prices in Metro Manila last week.
The full list of retail pump prices for the cities in the region as of June 21 can be viewed here.
Fortun’s question elicited several witty and interesting suggestions on how these gas stations can adjust to the situation.
“They will round it off. Instead of P100.05 it will be 101,” one Twitter user said.
“Kung 100 eh di 00.00 na dapat. Libre na!” another Twitter user quipped.
“Maglalagay na lang doc ng cut out na number 1 sa unahan,” another user tweeted.
Most gas stations have their signage showing prices in four digits only. They comprise the two numbers to the left of the decimal point and the other two decimal digits on the right.
Therefore, over the past years, fuel rates have not yet reached the three-digit mark per liter.
One Twitter user, meanwhile, replied to Fortun with a photo of a sign that showed a station had already breached the P100 mark.
“We hit 100+ kaninang umaga po doc,” the user tweeted with a face palm emoji.
The user also did not specify the location of this gas station.
we hit 100+ kaninang umaga po doc 🤦 pic.twitter.com/vKON7TiT5u
— so͞oˈdänəməs (@soodnms1) June 21, 2022
Fortun noted that the signage still showed four digits.
“This one moved the decimal point sign, still four digits,” the doctor said with a thinking emoji.
In a briefing last June 7, Energy Undersecretary Gerardo Erguiza said that the Department of Energy does not expect gas and diesel to hit a P100 per liter high at that time.
Eguiza made this remark even if rates in some areas in far-flung provinces such as Palawan have already peaked at P97 per liter.
These rates were previously likened to stellar school grades following another price hike for that week.
READ: Stellar report card: Fuel price hikes likened to school grades
The latest oil price hike was announced by Seaoil, Cleanfuel, PTT Philippines, Caltex, Petro Gazz, Unioil, Phoenix Petroleum and Petron last Monday, June 20.
