By Rey Anthony Chiu

Why is fuel expensive in Bohol compared to other regions?

Or how safe would buying bottled gasoline from sidewalk stalls be, especially with the hazards it is posing on life and property?

Questions relative to fuel costs, its downstream industry liquid fuels, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gas pump stations regulations, retails and trade as well as its safety regulations can finally be clarified. Authorities from the Department of Energy (DOE) come here, Tuesday, for the multi-sectoral advocacy campaign on the Downstream Oil Industry (DOI). Set on Aril 21 in two batches at the Harborview of the Bohol Tropics in Tagbilaran City, the advocacy campaign hopes to equip consumers with the proper information and elucidate on them nagging issues as well as make them assert their rights as fuel consumers, sources from the DOE said. No less than DOE-Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB) Director Zenaida Y. Monsada, will conduct the briefing on the DOI as participants will also be oriented on the Rules on Liquefied Petroleum Gas/Liquefied Petroleum Products (LPG/LPP). This also comes with an open forum after the talks, according to DOE sources.

On Tuesday morning, participants would be public information officers of the different towns, members of the media, Philippine Information Agency 7 staff, and DOE-Visayas personnel. In the afternoon, local government units represented by their city or municipal treasurer, business permit issuing officer or licensing officer, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other stakeholders such as the retailers and owners of gasoline stations are the audience. Aside from the downstream oil industry overview with Dir. Monsada, a briefing on Liquid Fuels and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Rules would be done by Loralai Capistrano, Supervising Science Research Specialist on Retail Market Monitoring and Special Concerns Division. Other topics for briefing include Liquid Petroleum Products Retail Rules, Basic Principle in Calibration and Sealing of Mechanical Pump by Arturo Valerio, and hands on demonstration in calibration and sealing of a dispensing pump will be conducted after the briefing.