Philippines

A sharp increase in prices of basic commodities and the possible loss of employment for thousands of people due to the fuel price hike have raised the spectre of stagflation in the Philippines [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

In a bid to ease the economic pain for commuters due to the fuel price increase, the government has slashed in half train fares starting last Monday, March 23.

In a bid to ease the economic pain for commuters due to the fuel price increase, the government has slashed train fares in half. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

Roxas Boulevard, one of the oldest streets of Metro Manila, during rush hour on Wednesday, the day Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos' national energy emergency declaration took effect.

Roxas Boulevard, one of the oldest streets of Metro Manila, during rush hour on Wednesday, the day Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's national energy emergency declaration took effect. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

A Catholic devotee prays at Manila's Baclaran Church, which typically attracts thousands every Wednesday, but which was been left significantly quieter as the country faces a fuel price crunch. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

As fewer buses, jeepneys and ride-hailing vehicles ply the streets due to the fuel price hike, more commuters have been forced to use Manila's railway system, creating bottlenecks during rush hour while exposing the acute insufficiency of the train network. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

Outside Baclaran Church, the usual festive chaos during Wednesdays when thousands flock to the Catholic shrine, have been replaced with a more sombre display of devotion. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

Emily Ruado, 59, and mother of four children, told Al Jazeera that before the war began, she earned the equivalent of $10 a day selling tissue paper and other items, but since then, her income has shrunk to about $5 a day.

Emily Ruado, 59, a mother of four children, told Al Jazeera that before the war began, she earned the equivalent of $10 a day selling tissue paper and other items, but since then, her income has shrunk to about $5 a day. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

Patrick dela Cruz, 33, used to pay $11 for a full tank of diesel to power his public utility vehicle for 12 hours. But these days, he has been paying almost $25 for the same amount of petrol, leaving him with a daily take-home income of less than $4. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

Before the Iran war began, economic managers and analysts predicted that the country’s GDP would grow by a healthy 5 percent, but that looks more unlikely now as the country faces a short supply of fuel, forcing the government to declare an energy emergency.

Before the Iran war began, economic managers and analysts predicted that the country’s GDP would grow by 5 percent, but that looks more unlikely now as the country faces a short supply of fuel, forcing the government to declare an energy emergency. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

A transport strike has forced the government and many businesses in Manila to allow their employees to work from home, slightly easing the pain of commuting at a time when fuel prices have doubled within three weeks. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]

An electronic screen display reads, "Pray for the Middle East", along Metro Manila's main avenue EDSA, during Thursday's rush hour, when vehicles typically move at a snail's space. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]