Fuel prices have significantly dropped since the start of COVID-19 crisis. Due to government-imposed lockdowns around the world, as well as a bit of a competition between Russian and Middle Eastern oil-producing nations, the demand for crude oil has drastically been reduced, causing prices to drop.
Depending on where you live, gas prices now are anywhere between Ph₱28 to just Ph₱42, down from the pre-lockdown price of Ph₱50-58.
With the price of gasoline so low — comparable to 2006 to 2007 figures — have you ever thought about where you'd go (if there was no lockdown)?
To simplify the discussion, we're going to limit the gas money to only Ph₱500.00, round trip. No adding. Let's assume your motorcycle's tank can fit all of the fuel that amount can buy.
Where would you start from? What's the average consumption of your motorcycle? And where would that amount of fuel bring you? And why go there?
Where would I go?
Brando
Since I'm from Cavite and the prevailing price of regular unleaded at the gasoline station near me is only Ph₱36.60, my Ph₱500 would buy me about 13.66 liters of gasoline (I would have to carry a jerrycan since my scooter's tank could only hold less than 4 liters of gasoline at a time). Since my scooter, a Honda BeAt 110 (carb) consumes about 40 kilometers per liter on average, that means I could travel 273 kilometers one-way or 546 kilometers back and forth.
Beautiful sunset at the Elysian Sands Resort, Dipaculao, Aurora. Ttaken during the 2018 BMW GS Camp courtesy of Leo John Cordova for BMW Motorrad.
With my ₱500 gas money, I would visit the beautiful Elysian Sands resort in Dipaculao, Aurora and spend the whole day relaxing at the beach, with an ice-cold beer, of course.
Pre-lockdown, the price of gas would have only allowed me to go as far as Pantabangan, in Nueva Ecija. That would still be approximately 110 kilometers short of my intended destination.
The Manor at Camp John Hay, where one can really enjoy Baguio's mountain air.
As a second option, I'd use my Ph₱500 worth of fuel to go all the way up to Camp John Hay in Baguio City (270-km away). I'd use the opportunity to savor the fine cold weather in one of the nice hotels there. Pre-lockdown, I would have only reached Gerona, in Tarlac.
Inigo
Using just Ph₱500, I’d definitely have to be more conscientious about how I spend it. With my larger bike — a Kawasaki Ninja 650 — I only average 23 km/L. Nonetheless, that would still buy a lot of fuel. Based on the fuel prices near me (Ph₱31.53), I’d get 15.9 liters from my Ph₱500, amounting to 364 kilometers in range.
I’d choose to go to Casa San Miguel, a bed and breakfast / art gallery / music school all rolled into one. The quaint place is in San Antonio, Zambales. It’s operated by violin maestro, Francisco “Coke” Bolipata. The locale has quaint accommodations and exceptional food. Casa San Miguel is actually 189 kilometers away from where I live in Quezon City. This would leave me with some fuel to either explore around the Zambales area or make it part of the way back home.
From my last experience, Holy Week is the best time to go. Coke and the students put up a violin concerto during this time. For the guests staying at the bed and breakfast, there’s also a sky lantern launching event, where they get to launch their own lantern, lighting up the sky, just like in the movie, Tangled.
Pre-lockdown, the prevailing fuel price of Ph₱56.50 would have only bought me 8.8 liters of fuel. This would still get me to Casa San Miguel, but only just. I’d have to fill up once again just to get home.
These, of course, are only palces we wish we could go to if there was no lockdown to truly enjoy the low gasoline prices. We are not in any way encouraging anyone to break the current lockdown protocols.
How about you? Where would you want to go? Share your intended destination below in the comments section.
