BASCO, Batanes, Philippines – Traveling around this northernmost part of the archipelago has become even more difficult with the scarcity of gasoline and diesel fuel.
The precious commodity is sold at corner stores in empty soft drink containers at P52 per liter.
The only gas station here in the provincial capital has run out of gasoline, which was selling at P56 per liter.
At the Port of San Vicente in Ivana town, a liter of gasoline costs P100.
Fuel used to power bancas and pump boats costs even more.
The problem of gasoline is expected to last for at least another month, since the supply ship that was expected to deliver fuel from Manila arrived with other prime commodities instead.
With the unpredictable weather Batanes is famous for, the arrival of any supply ship could be delayed for weeks.
The shortage of fuel is also felt by the National Power Corp. (Napocor), which since last week has reduced its operation to only 16 hours on Batan Island and 12 hours in the island-municipalities of Sabtang and Itbayat.
Napocor’s fuel stock has been reduced to a critical level since it was unable to resupply.
According to Ernesto Rosas, Napocor power plant supervisor, the fuel supply would only last until the end of the month, and Napocor urgently needs 100,000 liters of fuel to continue operations.
With the scarcity of gasoline and diesel fuel, there are lesser vehicles on the road, while the number of bicycles on the streets is increasing.
Bicycle dealers are thus making a nice profit out of the decreasing supply of fuel on the islands.
Dealer Robert Gabas said demand for bicycles has increased in the past few days because people are forced to resort to other means of transportation.
Gabas, who also sells gasoline in plastic bottles, said the entire stock of 100 bicycles that arrived from Manila last week was sold out.
“Either way, I make a little profit,” Gabas said. “I (will still) sell gasoline to vehicle owners.”
“Now that (my stock of) gasoline has all been sold, I am selling bicycles. Never a dull day for me,” he remarked.