Lechon price up by P3,000 on Chinese New Year’s Eve

The price of lechon has climbed up by P3,000 a day before the Chinese New Year amid the lack of pork supply, according to Ivan Mayrina’s report on “24 Oras.”

John Paul Angeles was caught by the GMA News team in La Loma, Quezon City, where he was buying lechon for his Chinese boss.

“Parang mas malaking grasya ba ang papasok, blessing. Pagka ano sa mga ano, pinabibili ng mga amo namin. Alay namin ‘yung mga ganito dati parang mga P8,000 lang ‘yung bili ko, eh. Ngayon parang P11,000 eh,” Angeles said.

William Chua, a lechon vendor, said that prices normally go up when there is a lack in supply.

“Nagkakadiperensya halos ng mga P2,000 isang baboy, no? P2,000 hanggang P3,000,” Chua said.

The lack of supply also heavily affects small vendors of lechon such as Anthony De Villa, who said his profit was cut in half or each item he sold since December.

“Ang budget ng customer, P4,000, P4,500 hanggang P5,000. Eh, ang puhunan mo sa lechon, eh sa baboy pa lang, P5,000. Paano mo ibibigay sa kanila ng P4,500 [o] P4,000, diba? he said.

“Isa pa ‘yun nagpapamahal. Syempre itatawid mo pa ‘yun eh. ‘Yung expenses ng byahero, irororo nila ‘yan eh. Pagdating dito, patong ‘yun,” he added.

Even other pork products increased in price due to the lack of supply, such as chicharon which increased from P80 to up to P120.

“Mula nung pagpasok ng pandemic. Pag walang balat na-delive, wala kaming gawa,” Merivic Aton, an employee, said.

A carinderia that previously sold liempo at P100 is now selling the pork product at P130.

“Ang dati po na 80 perasong liempo araw-araw, ngayon 45 peraso na lang ang ibinigay sa akin kasi hati-hati lang daw po dahil sa kaonting supply ng baboy,” Inday Ragana, the owner, said.

In early February, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a price cap on pork and chicken for 60 days in the National Capital Region. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News