Groups call for price hike of sardines, bread

Food manufacturers and bakers are calling on the Department of Trade and Industry for what they believe is a long overdue price hike on sardines and bread, both considered staple food by many Filipinos.

According to a 24 Oras report by Bernadette Reyes on Tuesday, the Sardines Association of the Philippines is pushing for up to a P3 price increase for sardines, the canned version of which forms a part of the Pinoy diet.

“Nag-increase ng minimum wage, tapos ang [presyo ng] gasolina up and down... Fish was only costing less than, about P21, P22. Ngayon, over P30, mag P40 na ata eh ang isda,” said CSAP spokesperson Bombit Buencamino.

(The minimum wage increased, and the gas [prices] are up and down… Fish was only costing less than, about P21, P22. Now, it is over P30, fish is now almost P40)

“’Yun aming hinihinging P3 noong araw, (That is the P3 we were requesting before) about two years ago, was never granted... and that forced closure of some suspension of operation of some plants,” he added.

Meanwhile, the group PhilBaking is also requesting for a P5 price increase on Pinoy tasty bread and pandesal after more than 1 and a half years of fixed prices as bakers said they are facing difficulty in subsidizing the cost of affordable bread.

“Based on our volume, malaki po ang binaba. More than 50% po ang output ang nawala dahil we are subsidizing this product, Pinoy tasty.  Ang tumaas po asukal, syempre labor cost, tapos yung fuel may time na mataas,” said PhilBaking president Jon Chua.

(Based on our volume, there was a huge decrease. More than 50% of the output disappeared because we are subsidizing this product, Pinoy tasty. Sugar prices have increased, labor costs, and fuel prices sometimes increase too)

“Hindi na talaga namin kaya. Baka mas kaunti pa supply sa Pasko, kasi mas malaki mawawala sa mga bakeries, kasi subsidized po siya,” he added.

(We’re unable to do this anymore. There might be less supply for Christmas, because there would be more money lost for bakeries, because it’s subsidized)

The Department of Trade and Industry said it is studying the possibility of a price hike of 60 different products. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News