Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumption in the Philippines has dropped by 30% over the past 40 days compared to the same period last year, as households switch back to charcoal and other traditional fuels in response to sharply rising prices. Arnel Ty, a former representative of the LPG Marketers Association, told a House legislative committee on Monday that prices could rise by up to 36 Philippine pesos per kilogram this April — adding as much as 396 pesos (roughly $7) to the cost of a standard 11-kilogram household cylinder. Ty attributed the increases to higher international contract prices and soaring shipping costs, after insurers withdrew coverage for cargo routes through key Middle Eastern waters, forcing suppliers to source LPG from as far away as North America and Africa, more than quadrupling delivery times.