Around 50 percent of fisherfolk at the municipal level have been forced to cease fishing activities due to consecutive surges in oil prices, according to a Thursday report.

Speaking to DZRH, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said only 3,000 out of the total 5,000 registered fisherfolk in Rosario, Cavite, are able to regularly head out to sea, as reported by RH 15 Jecelle Ricafort.

A majority of these fisherfolk have begun looking for other jobs, such as construction, because of heavy losses. Only 10 liters of diesel now costs a whopping ₱1,240, more than double its previous cost at ₱560.

Earlier, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the price of diesel could hit ₱200 per liter amid the global oil crisis.

Even if the Middle East war nears its conclusion, the prices on petroleum products are unlikely to decrease immediately due to the lasting damage inflicted on energy infrastructure.