Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso gathered local community bakers at Bulwagang Bayan, Manila City Hall recently offering each participating community bakery a P25,000 subsidy from the city government.
In exchange, participating bakeries are expected to hold the line on prices for 30 days on essential Filipino breads — pandesal, pandilimon, monay, and Spanish bread, among others — the everyday staples that anchor the breakfast tables of ordinary Manila families.
Domagoso came to the meeting prepared, presenting the bakers with his own detailed cost breakdown showing that total production costs per sack of flour — including ingredients, electricity, water, and labor — climb to around P2,165, with 69% of that cost coming from flour and yeast alone.
The mayor argued that by subsidizing flour and yeast, the city could give bakers enough breathing room to absorb rising costs without passing them on to consumers, particularly the working class and students who depend on affordable bread daily.
“Gusto ko rin kayong tulungan, mga panaderya ng komunidad sa Lungsod ng Maynila.”
“Gusto kong matuto, kaya ko kayo pinatawag dahil gusto ko rin kayong tulungan, mga panaderya ng komunidad sa Lungsod ng Maynila,” he told the assembled bakers.
Domagoso was emphatic about why he targeted bread prices specifically.
“Ang pandesal is simbolo ng almusal ng pamilyang Pilipino — hindi ‘yan pang-mahirap lang ha, pati mayayaman.”
“Ang pandesal is simbolo ng almusal ng pamilyang Pilipino — hindi ‘yan pang-mahirap lang ha, pati mayayaman,” he said.
Domagoso framed the subsidy not as a permanent solution but as a government cushion against the worst of the crisis, saying: “Lagapak tayo, pero ‘pag bagsak natin, may alpombra man lang na binigay ng pamahalaan — hindi masakit na masakit.”
He also drew a sharp distinction between Manila’s community bakeries and large commercial chains, telling the bakers directly: “Hindi kayo Goldilocks, hindi kayo Clyde’s — kayo mismo ‘yung nasa community, the heart of the community.”
Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino (APP) President Chito Chavez, who has spent more than 30 years advocating for Filipino bakers, praised the Mayor warmly, saying: “Sa hinahaba kong naging panadero at sa mahigit 30 taon na tagapagsalita ng mga panadero, ngayon lang ako nakatikim na mayroong isang alkalde ng Maynila na ginawan kami ng pamamaraan para buhatin ang aming upuan.”
