By RALPH JOHN MIJARES
ROXAS City — Wondering why gasoline sold in one-liter bottles, colloquially termed bote-bote, is cheaper than those from gas stations?
Retail gasoline vendors get their supply from “dealers,” who buy gasoline from oil companies in bulk at a discount, a fire officer disclosed.
In fact, three oil companies in this city are involved in the said trade, said SFO1 Marlon Garbo, information officer of the Bureau of Fire Protection here.
Buying at least 1,000 liters of gasoline would entitle dealers to a discount, Garbo said.
Dealers then sell gasoline to retail vendors at a price that would allow the latter to peddle it for P6 less than the per-liter price in gas stations, he said.
“Why can’t the DOE (Department of Energy) suggest (that oil companies) lower their prices to prevent bote-bote,” Garbo asked.
Garbo spoke during a recent forum on the multi-sectoral advocacy campaign on downstream oil industry with DOE and Philippine Information Agency Region 6.
Many motorists here patronize bote-bote gasoline, sold along streets, due to its cheap price and accessibility.
Authorities, however, discourage using it. Since it is adulterated fuel, bote-bote gasoline can damage vehicles in the long run, they said.
It is also a fire hazard, with their peddlers lacking know-how in handling it safely, fire officials have said.
Garbo did not name the oil companies or reveal the amount of discount.
If oil companies can give discounts to “dealers,” they might as well lower their prices, said DOE officer-in-charge undersecretary Zenaida Monsada.
Monsada also doubted the quality of gasoline sold by these dealers. An ordinary dealer may not afford a legitimate gasoline supply even at a discounted price, she said./PN
