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United Airlines has implemented broad-based fare hikes of 15 to 20 percent as it seeks to offset the surge in gasoline prices while protecting profits, executives said Wednesday.

The big US carrier, which has also trimmed its 2026 flying capacity by 5 percent, aims to recover 100 percent of the added costs from the jet fuel price spike due to the Middle East war.

Chief Executive Scott Kirby described oil prices as ‘incredibly volatile,’ but said the company’s plan is based on the assumption that ‘fuel may remain higher for longer.’

While the airline has yet to see pullback from customers due to high fares, United may cut back additional flights in 2027 if demand ebbs, Kirby said.

United on Tuesday reported higher first-quarter profits but lowered its full-year profit forecast due to jet fuel costs. United expects fuel prices to average $4.30 per gallon in the second quarter, up 55 percent from the average in the first quarter.

Other carriers too

Other airlines have also announced fare increases and capacity curtailments in response to the surge in oil prices since the US-Israel siege on Iran launched on Feb. 28.

The head of the International Air Transport Association on April 17 called on authorities to put ‘well-coordinated plans in place’ in case of jet fuel rationing.

Worries about jet fuel availability are more acute in Asia and Europe compared with the United States, said United Chief Financial Officer Michael Leskinen.

‘We don’t see a lack of availability being an issue at all in the US. It’s a price issue,’ Leskinen said.

‘However, even in Europe and Asia, as we sit here today, we think it’s a price issue not an availability issue,’ said Leskinen adding that ‘spot outages’ could happen in Europe and Asia if the conflict drags on.

Customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) can expect a bigger rebate as regulators ordered the swift implementation of P14.17-billion remaining refunds beginning May, as Filipinos reel from rising prices due to the Middle East war.

Based on a document posted on its website, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) directed the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led firm to hasten the rollout of the remaining refunds out of the original amount of P19.96 billion.

This is part of an earlier order that declared July 2022 to December 2024 as a lapsed period.

The true-up calculation shows the gap between Meralco’s actual weighted average tariff and the regulator-approved rate for the period under review.

The refund program started a year ago, initially covering P5.8 billion at a rate of P0.1189 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Now, the ERC has mandated a higher average refund rate of P0.2511 per kWh.

Residential customers, in particular, will see a reduction of P0.4278 per kWh.

Immediate relief

‘By expediting the refund, we are providing more immediate relief to Meralco consumers, particularly in the face of rising electricity costs driven by global and domestic factors,’ ERC chair and CEO Francis Saturnino Juan said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘The true-up mechanism is a safeguard embedded in our regulatory framework, ensuring that tariffs remain cost-reflective and reasonable at all times,’ he added.

The ERC said the remaining amount would be refunded over a shorter period of 12 months instead of the original 36 months.

According to the ERC, the refund will be under a separate line item in their power bills, allowing consumers to check the amount being returned to them.

In February, Meralco sought regulatory approval for a capital spending of P272 billion for a five-year period, or until 2030.

Rate reset

Under a rate reset process, a regulated entity such as Meralco must submit to the ERC its spending and proposed projects over a certain period, usually five years, unless extended by the regulator. This will then be the basis of the rate that will be passed on to consumers.

Meralco is the country’s biggest power distributor, delivering electricity to over 8.2 million consumers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, including the municipalities of Sto. Tomas, Batangas City and San Pascual.

Sen. Mark Villar is pushing for the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 1422, or the proposed Integrated Urban Agriculture Act, as rising fuel prices threaten to disrupt food supply chains and drive up the cost of basic goods.

Villar said the ongoing fuel crisis, linked to disruptions in the Middle East, has exposed the vulnerability of the country’s long-distance food distribution system, with higher diesel prices increasing transportation and production costs across the agricultural sector.

According to the senator, the situation has added pressure on food security as farmers, fisherfolk, and traders face mounting expenses for irrigation, fishing operations, hauling, and logistics. He cited projections from agriculture officials and experts warning that food prices could rise by as much as 20 percent to 60 percent in a worst-case scenario if fuel costs continue to climb.

National inflation reached 4.1 percent in March 2026, Villar said, underscoring the broader economic impact of the fuel price surge on Filipino households.

‘Long-distance food supply chains are highly vulnerable to fuel shocks. Every additional peso in diesel cost ripples through farms, fishing boats, trucks, and markets, ultimately burdening Filipino households with more expensive rice, vegetables, fish, and other basic commodities,’ Villar said.

The proposed measure seeks to institutionalize integrated urban agriculture nationwide by encouraging the use of idle government lands, open spaces, rooftops, vertical farming systems, and community gardens in urban areas. It also aims to provide incentives, technical assistance, and funding support for localized food production.

Villar said the bill could help reduce the country’s dependence on fuel-intensive food transport while also cutting post-harvest losses and creating community-based livelihood opportunities.

‘Urban agriculture is a practical, immediate, and sustainable solution. By growing food closer to consumers, we cut transport costs, lower carbon emissions, create green jobs in communities, and strengthen our resilience against external shocks like the current fuel crisis,’ he said.

He added that the current fuel situation highlights the urgency of adopting measures that can cushion urban communities from rising food costs and possible supply disruptions.

Villar said his office is prepared to work with government agencies, local government units, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to speed up the measure’s passage.

‘My office is ready to collaborate fully with stakeholders, government agencies, local governments, and civil society to move this bill forward quickly,’ he said. ‘We must act decisively so that the fuel crisis does not become a food crisis.’

The senator also called on fellow lawmakers, farmers’ groups, urban communities, and concerned citizens to support the immediate advancement of Senate Bill No. 1422.

Travelers flying within and out of the Philippines are facing significantly higher airfares for the rest of April after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) approved a Level 19 fuel surcharge, pushing additional charges to as much as P15,397 per ticket.

This new rate brings jet fuel surcharges close to the maximum Level 20 and marks a sharp increase from Level 8 imposed from April 1 to April 15.

Before the Middle East conflict broke out, Level 4 surcharge had applied.

Under Level 19, fuel surcharges for domestic flights now range from P627 to P1,834, up from P253 to P787 earlier in April-equivalent to increases of 147.83 percent and 133.04 percent, respectively.

For international flights, the surcharge rises to at least P2,070.77 and as much as P15,397.15, from P835.05 to P6,208.98 previously, representing a 147.98-percent increase.

CAB issued the advisory on Wednesday, although the new rates had taken effect for tickets issued starting April 16.

‘This interim measure shall be in effect until the current situation stabilizes, or as may be revised or revoked accordingly,’ it said.

These new rates will be applied at a conversion rate of P59.95 per US dollar.

Up 436% from prewar levels

This adjustment comes as global jet fuel prices remain high, reaching $184.63 per barrel as of April 17, from $99.40 per barrel prior to the Iran conflict, based on data from the International Air Transport Association.

Compared with prewar levels, Philippine jet fuel surcharges have now increased by 436 percent.

In March, carriers were unable to immediately reflect the price surge, as surcharges had already been set at Level 4 before hostilities escalated. At that level, domestic charges ranged from P117 to P342, while international surcharges were between P385.70 and P2,867.82.

Level 20 remains the highest allowable tier under CAB rules, with domestic surcharges ranging from P661 to P1,993 and international charges from P2,183.11 to P16,232.44.

On top of base airfare

Under CAB Resolution No. 25, Series of 2022, fuel surcharges are optional and charged on top of the base airfare. These may be removed if the one-month average price of jet fuel falls below P21 per liter.

In a statement, AirAsia Philippines said the increase reflects mounting cost pressures on carriers amid the ongoing conflict.

‘With the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, our operational cost base has significantly exceeded initial forecasts-global jet fuel prices have surged to more than double 2025 levels,’ the airline said.

A new generation of showbiz royalty will continue their family legacy as a new crop of stars, the children of beloved actors, actresses and screen veterans, after they were launched by Viva Artists Agency.

After Ashley Diaz, Gabbi Ejercito, Icee Ejercito, Jac Abellana, Jaime Yllana, Rob Walcher, Ryan Walcher and Vito Quizon were introduced as Viva’s ‘Next Gen’ stars, they vowed that they’re more than just rising stars who carry the last names of their famous lineal kin.

‘Okay lang po na natatawag kaming nepo baby, since totoo naman siya. Pero pwede ko namang ipakita na [I’m more than just a] nepo baby since nanggaling ako sa pamilya ng Quizon and kilala po sila,’ Vito, grandson of Comedy King Dolphy and son of Vandolph, said.

‘Medyo mas madali makapasok sa buhay ng paga-artista, and ang pinakagagawin ko is to improve and ipakita anong kaya kong gawin. Nandito po ako ngayon and ipapakita ko na kaya ko,’ he continued.

(It’s okay that we get called nepo babies because it’s true. But I can show that I’m more than just a nepo baby who comes from the Quizon clan. Since they’re known, it may be easier for me to get into show biz. What I can do is to improve and show what I can do. I’m here now, and I’m here to prove that I can make it.)

Gabbi, daughter of Gary Estrada and Bernadette Allyson, said she carries the advice that her parents gave her in her budding showbiz career. Also signing with the agency is her sister, Icee.

‘My parents always tell me to take every opportunity given. Going into Viva alone, of course, I was reluctant, but with their support and advice, I took the chance, and I’m very grateful that I did,’ she said.

Ryan shared that his beauty queen mother, Patricia Javier, and father, Dr. Robert Walcher, taught him how to make the most out of his entertainment career.

‘The best lesson that my parents taught me is to always make the best of things. No matter how [tough] things may seem, it just makes things a lot easier,’ he said, while his brother and fellow Viva artist Rob nodded in agreement.

Ashley, who stars as Rosetta Rodriguez in ‘Project Loki,’ is the daughter of Joko Diaz, an actor known for his antagonist roles onscreen. She is also the granddaughter of Paquito Diaz.

Also part of the newest crop of stars are Jac Abellana and Jaime Yllana, the son of Jojo Abellana and son of Anjo Yllana, respectively.

The Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has established satellite offices, funded by the European Union (EU), in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi to bring the government closer to its constituents there.

Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua inaugurated the satellite branches along with Governors Mujiv Hataman of Basilan and Ysmael Sali of Tawi-Tawi and other officials in the island-provinces on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Ambassador Massimo Santoro of the European Union Delegation in the Philippines (EU Philippines) joined the inauguration rites for the OCM satellite offices, which were constructed under the EU-funded Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) program.

‘Distance should not be a hindrance. Government service must be felt fast, efficient, and direct,’ Macacua posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon after inaugurating the facility in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

Macacua expressed the Bangsamoro government’s gratitude to the EU for its continued support of the region and the Bangsamoro peace process.

He also acknowledged the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for helping bring the regional government closer to the two island provinces.

‘This effort strengthens governance and ensures that development reaches our communities,’ Macacua said.

In a statement, EU Philippines said the OCM satellite offices were designed to bring government services closer to the people.

Built with the help of local workers-including a majority of women engineers-this new office stands as a long-term investment in faster, more accessible, and more inclusive governance, it said following the inauguration in Basilan.

Santoro also visited Maluso town to witness firsthand how the EU’s Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Programme (BAEP) is transforming lives across communities – from fish processing to rubber farming and coffee production.

The seat of the Bangsamoro government is in Cotabato City, located in mainland Mindanao.

Besides Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, the Bangsamoro region also comprises the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur, all in mainland Mindanao.

The BARMM was established in 2019 following the ratification of Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The creation of the Bangsamoro autonomous region is the centerpiece of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which was signed in 2014 by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front after 17 years of peace negotiations.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) welcomed the appointment of former Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity.

‘We recognize an opportunity in his appointment for the substantial fulfillment of the CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro) and building the foundations of peace in the Bangsamoro,’ Mohagher Iqbal, MILF vice chair, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Iqbal said the MILF also expressed its gratitude to the contributions of former presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. in the country’s peace efforts. Galvez took the post in 2018 after retiring from military service.

‘General Galvez has not merely been an official, but a partner to the MILF in the critical years of [CAB] implementation,’ he said.

Iqbal, who led the MILF in political negotiations with the government, noted that during the tenure of Galvez, the Mindanao peace process witnessed historic achievements like the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and beginning the work on decommissioning.

‘Harder work’

‘What remains is the harder, less visible work: completing normalization, building fiscal and governance capacity in the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), ensuring that the Bangsamoro’s first parliamentary elections strengthen rather than fracture democratic legitimacy, and delivering development that reaches the communities most affected by decades of conflict,’ he said.

And for Iqbal and the MILF, this is where the new peace adviser fits in.

‘This is civilian work. It requires the kind of governance experience that Secretary Sarmiento brings-his understanding of municipal administration, regional development coordination, and national government and BARMM intergovernmental work,’ Iqbal said.

An outright downgrade of the Philippine sovereign credit rating is unlikely unless the war in the Middle East drags on, Nomura Global Markets Research said, adding that growth should rebound as the government accelerates spending.

In a note, Nomura economists Euben Paracuelles and Nabila Amani said the country’s fiscal risks are more manageable than those facing many of its peers that are also under ratings pressure.

On Monday, Fitch Ratings revised its outlook on the Philippines to ‘negative’ from ‘stable,’ signaling that the country’s investment-grade ‘BBB’ rating could be downgraded within one to two years if fiscal conditions fail to improve.

The move followed last week’s setback, when S and P Global Ratings cut its outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘positive,’ dimming hopes that the country could soon secure its first-ever ‘A’ rating from one of the three major credit rating agencies.

Fitch’s rating stands one notch below S and P’s ‘BBB+,’ itself one step short of the coveted ‘A’ level.

Explaining their actions, both agencies pointed to the same challenge: The Philippine government, still reeling from the fallout of a major corruption scandal that paralyzed public spending, is confronting an oil shock with diminished fiscal buffers.

‘As we argued before, a shift to a negative outlook, much less a rating downgrade, by S and P, is unlikely over the next few months, even with its higher credit rating, and we believe it will be the same for Fitch, unless the crisis becomes is significantly prolonged,’ Paracuelles and Amani said.

Review cycle

‘By the next review cycle (which is usually 12 months, unless there are significant developments that warrant an earlier review), the main factors cited by Fitch for a downgrade will likely show some improvements, in our view,’ they added.

Moody’s Ratings, the third major agency, has yet to announce a rating action. But in an April 14 credit opinion, it warned that the conflict in the Gulf region has increased downside risks to the Philippines’ economic outlook by lifting global energy prices and intensifying external cost pressures.

A rating downgrade could mark the country’s first since 2005, when political turmoil and fiscal instability eroded the Philippines’ credit standing.

A lower rating could raise the government’s borrowing costs at a time when it is running a budget deficit to finance development spending.

Infrastructure spending

But looking ahead, Nomura said gross domestic product growth should rebound as the government implements catch-up infrastructure spending and as terms-of-trade pressures ease. This assumes that a US-Iran deal could be made.

The bank forecasts 2026 growth at 5 percent-above Fitch’s 4.6 percent-even after trimming its own projection from 5.3 percent to reflect the energy price shock.

‘We still think the government has a limited appetite to implement blanket fuel subsidies that tend to be difficult to unwind,’ Nomura said. ‘Therefore, the medium-term fiscal consolidation agenda is unlikely to be derailed, even if implemented more gradually to recalibrate for the external shock and evolving domestic economic conditions, in our view.

Sergio Veloso’s era with Ateneo Blue Eagles has come to an end.

After three seasons, the Brazilian coach handled his final game in the UAAP-and in the Philippines-as Ateneo absorbed a heartbreaking 22-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-21, 15-10 loss to Far Eastern University to close its Season 88 campaign on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

According to reports, Veloso has already decided to leave after this season. Tiebreakertimes broke the news.

‘This is my last season in Ateneo. I am leaving the Philippines. I’ll work. I am part of the FIVB program. And now in this situation, I am now out of the PNVF,’ Veloso said.

‘For this time, Ateneo decided not only this season. This decision started in the last year, when change came in the PNVF.’

Veloso finished his final season with a 2-12 record.

Under his belt, Ateneo missed the chance to end a four-year Final Four drought. His first two seasons ended with identical 5-9 records when Lyann De Guzman and AC Miner were still leading the team.

Veloso was brought in by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation in 2023, handling the Alas Pilipinas squad in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games before Angiolino Frigoni replaced him for the FIVB Volleyball World Championship.

‘I want to thank Ateneo, thank the PNVF, for this opportunity to share my knowledge and my players. Not only for the girls, but for the national men’s team too, and for me, it’s so glad,’ said Veloso. ‘When I look at the end of the match, all the players, and the former players AC, Lyann, and Roma (Doromal). They give me nicknames, they call me ‘dad.’ And this for me is so good, because I know I can touch the players.’

As he leaves the country, Veloso brings precious memories not just from Philippine volleyball but from all the Filipinos he met.

‘When I think about the countries where I worked in the world, I stayed here three seasons, and if you ask me, out of my country, out of Brazil, here in the Philippines, I think it’s the best. Because the people, it’s more similar than Brazil. I tell them, the Philippines, they are Latin Asians, because the country has a lot of influence because it’s a Spanish-Latin country, and I appreciate it a lot,’ the outgoing Ateneo coach said.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered police officers conducting checkpoint operations to speed up inspections of trucks transporting essential goods.

‘Amid the challenging situations that our country is experiencing, our personnel on the ground stationed at checkpoints will ensure that the flow of goods remains unhampered and uninterrupted,’ Nartatez said in a statement on Thursday.

He also said the new directive will not affect the police force’s crackdown on smuggled goods.

‘Checkpoint operations will continue to support law enforcement objectives without compromising the movement of legitimate cargo,’ the PNP chief said.

The top cop added that the police force will coordinate with local government units (LGUs) and other agencies to ensure that regulations are still enforced without disrupting essential transport.

Nartatez’ statement came after Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said ‘unnecessary and unreasonable’ checks and inspections of food trucks conducted by the police and LGUs at checkpoints delayed travel and wasted fuel.

Recto made the pronouncement on Tuesday, appealing to government agencies to help farmers and traders take advantage of reduced toll and port fees to soften the impact of high fuel prices on food.