DAVAO REGION, Philippines — A small September price rollback has offered some relief to households, but consumers in Davao del Norte are still paying the highest average prices for household liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the region.
Latest monitoring by the Department of Energy (DOE) Mindanao Field Office showed that Davao del Norte recorded an average price of ₱1,379.50 for an 11-kilogram LPG cylinder, the highest among the five provinces in the Davao Region.
The figures come despite a ₱0.40-per-kilogram rollback recorded in September — a reduction that has done little to erase the impact of earlier price increases this year.
More striking, however, is the massive difference consumers can encounter depending on where and from whom they buy their cooking gas.
In Davao del Norte alone, monitored prices ranged from as low as ₱970 to as high as ₱1,844 per 11-kilogram cylinder.
That means the difference between the lowest and highest monitored price reached an eye-catching ₱874 for the same cylinder size.
Davao del Norte Leads Region in Average LPG Prices
For the Sept. 1 to 7 monitoring period, the DOE Mindanao Field Office placed the average price of an 11-kilogram household LPG cylinder across Davao Region at ₱1,363.41.
Davao del Norte topped the list at ₱1,379.50, followed by:
- Davao del Sur — ₱1,361.01
- Davao de Oro — ₱1,352
- Davao Oriental — ₱1,329.17
- Davao Occidental — ₱1,324.67
The regional average was also higher than the broader Mindanao average of ₱1,335.67 per 11-kilogram cylinder.
The figures highlight a continuing problem for consumers: even within the same region, the price of household LPG can vary substantially depending on location, retailer and brand.
Tagum City Records the Highest City Average
The disparity becomes even more apparent at the city level.
Tagum City posted the highest average LPG price among monitored cities in the Davao Region at ₱1,471.78 per 11-kilogram cylinder.
Prices in Tagum ranged from ₱1,282 to ₱1,844, the highest ceiling recorded in the monitoring data.
Other monitored cities posted the following averages:
- Davao City — ₱1,391.59
- Island Garden City of Samal — ₱1,390.80
- Panabo City — ₱1,360.21
- Digos City — ₱1,356.17
- Mati City — ₱1,352
Davao City’s prices also showed a considerable spread, ranging from ₱1,244 to ₱1,669 per 11-kilogram cylinder.
For families already struggling with food, transportation and utility expenses, these differences can have a direct impact on household budgets.
A Rollback — But Prices Remain Elevated
September brought a ₱0.40-per-kilogram reduction, marking only the second rollback recorded by the DOE Mindanao Field Office in 2026.
But the bigger picture tells a different story.
DOE monitoring showed that the year had already seen:
- Six price increases
- Two price rollbacks
- One month with no adjustment
Despite the latest reduction, the cumulative net adjustment for 2026 remained at ₱16.77 per kilogram higher.
The biggest monthly increase was recorded in April at ₱20 per kilogram, while the largest rollback came in July at ₱14.81 per kilogram.
Just a month earlier, DOE monitoring reported another increase in LPG prices across Mindanao, with August recording a ₱3.67-per-kilogram hike and pushing the year-to-date net adjustment above ₱17 per kilogram before September’s rollback.
Why Do LPG Prices Differ So Much?
The latest monitoring underscores that there is no single retail price for LPG across Davao Region.
Several factors can influence what consumers ultimately pay, including:
- LPG brand
- Retailer pricing
- Delivery and distribution costs
- Location
- Market competition
- Supply-chain expenses
DOE’s monitoring is particularly useful because it shows the actual range of prices encountered by consumers rather than suggesting that every household pays one uniform amount.
Across Mindanao, September’s monitored prices also varied significantly by brand.
The reported ranges included:
- Petron Gasul — ₱1,100 to ₱1,557
- Phoenix Super LPG — ₱1,000 to ₱1,500
- PryceGas — ₱1,000 to ₱1,600
- Solane — ₱1,100 to ₱1,844
- Other brands — ₱970 to ₱1,743
The numbers show why consumers can experience dramatically different prices even when purchasing the same 11-kilogram cylinder capacity.
What Consumers Should Watch
The DOE maintains LPG price-monitoring data as a guide for consumers tracking prevailing prices and market movements. However, monitored prices can vary across locations and retailers.
For households in Davao del Norte, the latest figures offer both good and bad news.
The good news is that September brought a modest rollback.
The bad news is that Davao del Norte still holds the region’s highest provincial average — while Tagum City posted the highest average among monitored cities.
And perhaps the most alarming figure is the enormous price gap itself.
How can an 11-kilogram LPG cylinder cost ₱970 in one monitored outlet and reach as high as ₱1,844 in another?
As households continue searching for ways to stretch their budgets, the latest DOE figures send a clear message: where consumers buy their LPG may matter almost as much as the price adjustment announced each month.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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