There will be no immediate increase in the price of cooking gas even after the presidential edict imposing a price ceiling on fuel products has been deemed lifted.

This was the assurance given by Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association (LPGMA) President Arnel Ty Monday following the scrapping of Executive Order 839, which froze the prices of petroleum products last month.

Instead, the group of independent LPG retailers said that they would raise prices by P3 a kilo come December which would translate to a P33 add-on for each regular 11-kilo tank of cooking gas.

The LPGMA president said there is no pressing need to increase prices now since retailers have just implemented a P4 per kilo hike last November 1.

Although the hike was made while the EO was still in effect, the resulting LPG price tag of P580 per cylinder was still within the government-prescribed suggested retail price (SRP) of P600, Ty said.

The LPG group was among those that heaved a sigh of relief after the announced lifting of the price cap, which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo handed down last October 23 as a cushion for typhoon-clobbered Filipinos.

World contract price for LPG jumped over $50 per metric ton for November and is expected to rise again next month, Ty said.

Meanwhile, transport groups are holding their breath as to exactly when local oil companies would hike their pump prices now that they are free to do so.

Small players such as Eastern Petroleum, Flying V Philippines and Seaoil Philippines have announced a possible P5 per liter increase on fuel although they promised to do it by installment or staggered basis.

Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) Secretary General George San Mateo said oil firms have so far held on to their old prices but are apparently running short on supply.

“Wala pa kaming namo-monitor na nagtaas ng presyo pero maraming gas stations ang walang krudo, mula Calamba hanggang Sta. Rosa sa Laguna. Na-lift na nga yung EO, nagpapatupad pa rin sila ng artificial fuel shortage,” he said.

The transport leader believes that oil firms are only waiting for the right time—businesswise—to “replenish” their supply.

“Hindi kami naniniwalang wala silang supply, hino-hoard lang nila. Ilalabas nila ang supply kapag nakapagtaas na sila ng presyo. Inaasahan namin na magtataas sila ng presyo anumang araw.”

Still smarting from the EO lifting, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO) President Efren de Luna said “saboteurs” from the business community have succeeded in their aim to force Malacañang to scrap the oil price cap.

“Hindi naman namin sinasabi na dapat panghabambuhay yan (EO). Pero naghari ulit ang pagsasabotahe ng mga negosyante kaya lalo na naman mahihirapan ang mamamayan,” De Luna said.

Reports said the oil industry lost at least P2.5 billion in revenues as a result of the three-week price freeze, even causing a shortage of finished fuel products in the country.

Oil firms last jacked up prices en masse last October 19, just weeks after destructive typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” hit the Philippines.