Lower Gas Prices @ Shell C5

Gas prices for unleaded and E-10 (ethanol blend) are starting to creep up again. Cols was telling me that she saw E-10 being sold at the Petron along P. Guevarra at only about PP30/liter (that's about PHP3.00 less than all the usual Shell stations that I frequent). I told her that she must have been mistaken and that maybe she saw the price for diesel.

In any case, I passed by the Shell along C5 (the one beside SM Hypermarket) this morning and I noticed that their published prices are also about PHP3.00/liter cheaper than the usual ones. Then a little bit further down the road, the Caltex right by the Green Valley Country Club exit of Valle Verde 1, also sells gasoline at that lowered price.

It seems that these gas stations are not directly owned by the gasoline companies. Rather, they are franchised stations. This leads one to wonder -- how can franchisees afford to sell gasoline at PHP3.00/liter cheaper than their supplier when their cost is higher. Presumably, they have to pay for royalties, etc. Those multinational oil firms must really be raking it in. The government should do more to pressure them to stop increases prices again.