In a bid to monitor and enforce the Suggested Retail Prices (SRPs) of basic necessities and prime commodities as well as the P45 per kilo Maximum Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) on rice, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque led the joint inspection of the Alabang Central Market and Festival Mall in Muntinlupa City recently.
Most of the vendors were found to be compliant, especially with rice being sold for as low as P35 per kilo—a stark difference from the P60/kilo retail price of rice last December 2024.
Another site for Kadiwa ng Pangulo was also set up at the Alabang Central Market to bring the P20 Rice Project closer to consumers, particularly senior citizens (SCs), persons with disabilities (PWDs), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, and solo parents who will then be allowed to buy up to 30 kilos per month from KADIWA centers and local government units nationwide.
The said program aims to provide affordable and high-quality rice to vulnerable sectors in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directives towards food accessibility and security. The rice supply for this initiative is procured by the Food Terminal, Inc. (FTI) from the DA-National Food Authority (NFA).
‘Yong dati naming binabanggit na 300,000 tons na bigas, ngayon nasa 415,000 tons na.”
When asked about the sustainability of the P20/kilo rice program, Tiu Laurel assured, “Marami tayong stocks talaga. ‘Yong dati naming binabanggit na 300,000 tons na bigas, ngayon nasa 415,000 tons na. Based on the stocks we have now, hanggang March or April next year, walang problema.”
The said program will also soon cover minimum wage workers nationwide starting June 13, with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) identifying 120,000 workers who will soon be able to purchase up to 10 kilos of the P20 rice per month.
Meanwhile, the market visit in Alabang also revealed that pork prices remain high as one kilo of pork belly (liempo) ranges from P450-P490 and pork shoulder (kasim) at P380-P400/kilo.
Attributing this to the ongoing threats posed by the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, which also reduced the number of pigs from 13 million pre-pandemic to its current count of 8.5 million, Tiu Laurel assured that the agriculture department remains on top of efforts on hog repopulation efforts and ASF vaccine commercialization.
“Public safety is important. Kaunting hintay na lang po.”
“Ayaw nating maglabas ng vaccine na hindi fully tested, I hope people understand that there might be adverse effects. Ang hinihintay na lang ngayon ay ang genome testing, isang test upang makita kung nagbago ba ang DNA ng baboy. Lalabas ito ngayong linggo pero nag-additional step tayo, we sought [members of] the academe and doctors na mag-evaluate din [ng vaccine] para manigurado. Public safety is important. Kaunting hintay na lang po,” the agriculture chief stated.
In support of the agriculture department’s initiatives, Roque vowed to strengthen the coordination between the two agencies to continue the effective implementation of programs that ensure consumer welfare and protection.
“The DTI really works side-by-side with DA and we really implement kung ano ang mga utos nila sa amin,” the trade chief assured.
“If they tell us to monitor and enforce the prices ng bigas, baboy, gulay, ‘yon ang ginagawa namin. We do that on a daily basis for basic necessities and prime commodities,” the trade head added.
