Image: Instagram/@bela, @mariesteller
Further proving celebrities, just like ordinary citizens, are affected by the economic issues the country is facing, Bela Padilla and Maris Racal recently expressed their discontent over the current price of petroleum products.
The third quarter of 2018 saw the prices of food, particularly, rice, fish, meat and vegetables, soar, pushing the inflation rate at its highest in over nine years at 6.4 percent. Even celebrities seemed to have felt the effect of rising prices when they made use of their respective social media platforms to call out the inflation and the unusually high price of chili, which was regarded as the “new status symbol.”
“Nagpa-gas ako, sumakit ang ulo ko (I refueled [my car, in turn], my head ached),” Racal complained in a post she shared via Twitter last Friday, Sept. 28. “God bless, Pilipinas (Philippines).”
Nagpa gas ako, sumakit ang ulo ko.
God bless, Pilipinas. :— Maris Racal (@MissMarisRacal) September 28, 2018
Padilla echoed Racal’s sentiment in a Tweet she posted the next day. “How is diesel 57 pesos a liter now?” wondered Padilla who found the current price of diesel incredulous.
https://twitter.com/padillabela/status/1045858598302056453
Both their Tweets prompted various responses from their fans. Some reasoned that the oil price hike was brought about by the rising oil price in the world market.
Oil prices increased in the world market. 😉
— MAMITA SAYS 👵🏼 | 💚🇵🇭 (@jcmanila) September 29, 2018
https://twitter.com/chinterugenie/status/1045864803594514432
One netizen, iampinoy (@Jc16Manabat), explained that while it is true that the price of petroleum products here in the Philippines is influenced heavily by the price in the world market, the excise tax on fuel cost under the TRAIN (The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) law, as well as, the weakening peso, are also factors that affect oil price hike.
It’s mostly due to the dictate of the world market. But there are factors also contributing to it like the imposition of additional excise tax on fuel cost under Duterte’s Train Law and the weakening peso.
— iamcaloy (@Jc16Manalo) September 29, 2018
Others blamed the inflation for the soaring oil prices.
Inflation, my love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
— Cris (@frisbie14) September 29, 2018
Meanwhile, some netizens blamed the administration for the rising price of petroleum products.
Duterte let it happened.
— Maria Mema Sabina Star (@coziamrandom) September 29, 2018
Thank you Duterte.
— c’ (@lalalimario_m) September 29, 2018
You can thank the elected officials of our government for that.
— Lorenz CP (@iam_lorenzcp) September 29, 2018
One Twitter user, Castor Troy (@CastorTroy_mm), went as far as to suggest that Padilla ask her uncle Robin Padilla, who is a staunch supporter of the administration, for the reason why the prices of petroleum products went up.
https://twitter.com/CastorTroy_mm/status/1045882061720965120
Aside from the rising price of petroleum products, Maynilad Water Services will be opening the fourth quarter of the year with a price hike as well. Maynilad customers will pay P5.73 more per cubic meter over the next four years, starting this October. JB
RELATED STORIES:
Celebs lament inflation, regard chili as ‘new status symbol’
Bianca Gonzalez, like everyone, feels the burden of inflation: ‘Ang mahal na ng lahat!’