MANILA - Oil firms on Monday announced increases in their pump prices – the second round after the cap on prices was lifted by Malacañang.

Independent oil player Flying V was the first to announce its hike in fuel prices on Tuesday. Effective 12:01 a.m., prices of Flying V's diesel, gasoline and kerosene will go up by P1.50 per liter, said company spokesman Joey Cruz.

Cruz said the scheduled increase was in line with the movement of oil prices in the world market.

Eastern Petroleum Philippines also gave notice that it will increase by P1.50 per liter all its petroleum products effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. will also increase prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene by P1.50 per liter according to Roberto Kanapi, company spokesman. He said the increases effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday is ”to reflect the increase in international product prices.”

Petron Corp. will also increase by P1.50 per liter (Value-Added Tax included) the pump prices of its gasoline, diesel and kerosene according to Virginia Ruivivar, company public affairs manager. She said the increase would be effective 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Total Philippines meanwhile said its P1.50 per liter increase in gasoline and diesel prices would be implemented 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Malou Espina, Total Philippines corporate affairs manager, also said that as part of its continuing efforts to help the victims of recent typhoons in Luzon, the independent oil player will increase to P2 per liter the discount it offers to public transport drivers at 17 sites. Espina said the added discount will also be effective Tuesday.

Flying V’s Cruz said local pump prices would likely increase by another P1.50 per liter next week as oil firms seek to recover losses from the imposition of Executive Order (EO) 839, which kept fuel prices at October 15 levels.

EO 839 was lifted on condition that oil firms continue to provide discounts and relief assistance in areas badly hit by recent back-to-back typhoons.

Oil companies said they were looking at an increase of up to P5 per liter upon scrapping of the EO, but they promised to implement this on a staggered basis.

A day after Malacañang’s cap on fuel prices was lifted last week, oil firms immediately started implementing increases in pump prices.

Meanwhile, activist transport group  Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston) vowed to launch a noise barrage on Tuesday to protest the recent increases announced by the oil companies. With a report from Alvin Elchico, ABS-CBN News