Bataan vendors go on ‘pork holiday’ to protest price cap

Meat vendors in Balanga City Public Market have temporarily stopped selling pork due to the government-imposed price ceiling. (Photo by Greg Refraccion)

BALANGA CITY –– Some 50 meat sellers at the city public market staged a “pork holiday” on Friday to protest the government-imposed price ceiling on pork.

Juan Ortiz, a pork vendor, said he usually buys pork at the farm gate price of P255.

“So how can we sell pork at P270 per kilo in the market?” he asked in an interview with the Inquirer.

Last month, President Duterte signed Executive Order No. 124 that set price ceilings of P270 a kilo for “kasim/pigue” and P300 per kilo for “liempo,” and P160 a kilo for dressed chicken against the current rates of P440 and P200, respectively, in public markets.

The high pork prices were partly due to the limited supply caused by the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.

Balanga is one of the cities adversely hit by ASF since last year.

In the entire Bataan province, only Limay town remained ASF-free.

Most pork vendors get their supply from other parts of Central and Northern Luzon that are ASF-free.

Mayor Francis Garcia was set to meet with city public market personnel and a pork vendors group to discuss the issue.

Dr. Alberto Venturina, provincial veterinarian, said the pork price ceiling has yet to be implemented in the entire province.

Pork and chicken vendors in the rest of Bataan municipalities, where pork price remained at P380 to 400 per kilo, did not join the protest move. INQ

LZB