(Eagle News) — The 60-day price cap for pork and chicken not only covers public markets, but supermarkets in Metro Manila as well, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Thursday, Feb. 4.
Roque said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will also subject imported pork and chicken being sold in supermarkets to a price cap.
“Nangako po ang ating DTI sa pamamagitan ni Secretary (Ramon) Lopez na henceforth, unang-una magkakaroon po ng label na imported ang baboy na binibenta sa supermarket. At kapag ito po ay imported na baboy nga, subject na rin po siya sa price cap,” the Palace spokesperson announced in a press briefing on Thursday.
He said Secretary Lopez made this commitment to President Rodrigo Duterte during a cabinet meeting Wednesday night.
Roque said he himself had raised the issue of why supermarkets had not been covered before on the price ceiling on pork products.
“Bakit sa palengke lang ini-impose ang price cap samantalang – ibabalik ko iyong halaga ng imported ha, 114 pesos per kilo ang imported kasama na ang taripa. Bakit walang price cap sa supermarket? Eh ang tanong, mga kababayan, eh sino ba ang nag-aangkat ng baboy para address-in ang kakulangan? Iyong mga nasa palengke na tinatawaran pa natin o iyong mga nasa supermarket? Hindi ba dapat lamang na kapag magkakaroon ng price cap ay kaparehong may price cap sa palengke at sa supermarket, lalo na nga sa supermarket dahil mas mura nilang naaangkat iyong baboy,” he explained.
He said that this is also covered by the equal protection clause in the law.
“Sabi ko nga po kagabi, aba’y mayroon tayong prinsipiyo ‘no, equal protection clause ‘no. Kinakailangan things similarly situated must be treated alike,” he said.
He noted that those importing pork products are even able to buy at a low price of around P114 per kilo which already includes the 40 percent tariff rate. On the other hand, local hog raisers price a kilo of pork they produce at P171 per kilo.
“Eh baka tuluyang mawala na iyong mga local producers. Kaya nga po nag-iingat tayo pagdating doon sa desisyon kung ilan ang aangkatin from abroad. (Local producers might be wiped out. That is why we are considering carefully the decision on the amount of pork importation),” Roque said.
Under Executive Order (EO) 124, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 1, 2021 a 60-day price ceiling on pork and chicken products is imposed in Metro Manila.
The price ceiling is ₱270/kg for kasim/pigue, ₱300/kg for liempo, and ₱160/kg for dressed chicken.
In approving the EO, the President noted that the reduced local pork output due to the outbreak of the African swine fever (ASF) has significantly affected the supply and prices of pork in the market.
(Eagle News Service)
