The Department of Energy and oil firms yesterday announced that the price disparity between fuel sold in Negros Occidental and Metro Manila has dropped to P3 from a high of P5, but Negrense congressmen said it was still excessive and should go down further.

At the House Committee on Energy hearing at the Social Hall of the provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on the oil price disparity, the congressmen said they are studying the possibility of restoring some fuel regulatory powers to the DOE to prevent price abuse by oil firms.

The DOE, in a report presented at the hearing, said the  disparity in the pump prices of diesel sold in Metro Manila with Bacolod is P3, Cebu – 15 centavos and Davao 45  centavos.

Pump prices of fuel in the country are expected to slightly go up on Monday, Department of Energy Undersecretary Jose Layug Jr. said yesterday.

Following the rollback in fuel prices by P2 on August 15, with the drop in oil prices in the world market last week, an uptake has been seen in the last four days, Layug explained.

He said they would have to factor in the results of yesterday’s trading to determine what the increase will be like, he said.

The Lacson-Circumferential flyover in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City is a sign of connection and progress between the Philippines and France, Phillippe Gouvary, the representative of the French Embassy, said during the inauguration of the project yesterday.

Gouvary and Public Works and Highway Secretary Rogelio Singson led local officials at the inaugural rites of the P365 million flyover project. They were assisted by Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez Jr., and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

Leonardia said Bacolod welcomes the flyover as it symbolizes progress and development and is a concrete evidence that Bacolod is indeed moving forward.