DA: Price ceiling on pork, chicken products to start on Feb. 8

MANILA, Philippines — The imposed 60-day price cap on pork and chicken products in Metro Manila will start on Feb. 8, according to Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar on Tuesday.

“The price ceiling will effectively be enforced by Feb. 8, 2021 by all the institutions involved,” Dar said in a House agriculture hearing probing on the higher price of goods.

But according to the agriculture secretary, the price freeze will only involve public markets.

“Itong price ceiling na ito ay para lang sa public markets. Baka tatanungin po ninyo bakit hindi pa ninyo isama ang supermarkets? Ito naman ay may option ang mga mamimili,” he said.

(This price ceiling is only for public markets. You might ask, ‘Why doesn’t it cover supermarkets?’ That is because we want buyers to have options.)

President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed Executive Order (EO) No. 124, which imposes a 60-day price freeze on pork and chicken products in Metro Manila.

Under the EO, the price ceiling for a kilogram of kasim and pigue is at P270, P300 per kilogram for liempo, and P160 per kilogram for dressed chicken.

According to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte’s order will be in force for 60 days unless the President extends it upon the DA’s recommendation.

The DA, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Metro Manila mayors earlier recommended that the President impose a price freeze on pork, chicken, fish, and vegetables.