Ms. Ronadale Zapata
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PRICES OF GOODS IN PALENGKE STABLE—DE CASTRO
11 August 2005

 

EXCEPT for off-season vegetables and galunggong, prices of basic goods and prime commodities remained relatively stable during a palengke tour conducted by Vice President Noli ‘Kabayan’ De Castro in Pasig and Marikina cities yesterday.

 

The palengke tour is meant to remind all concerned (the producers, traders, vendors, and consuming public) that the government is closely monitoring the price situation.

 

According to De Castro, prices of pork, beef, chicken were stable at P140, P200 and P100 per kilo respectively while prices of Tilapia was unchanged at P70 per kilo.

 

Speaking to reporters after monitoring prices at the Mutya ng Pasig Public Market, De Castro said prices of certain vegetables and galunggong went up due to bad weather and low production in Luzon.

 

He said prices of vegetables increased slightly because they are currently sourced from Mindanao. Baguio, which usually supplies vegetables to Metro Manila, has been facing problems in transporting its goods down to the metropolis in the past few days due to bad weather, De Castro explained.

 

Prices of galunggong increased from P70 to P80 per kilo because fishing becomes difficult during rainy days. “Our fishermen are having a difficult time catching fish when its raining hard because during this time saltwater fish tend to go deeper into the water,” he said. In any case, the Vice President assured that the prices of freshwater fish like tilapia and bangus have remained stable.

 

At the Mutya ng Pasig Public Market, prices of tomatoes increased from P48 to P52 per kilo in a week’s time while prices of onions went up from P52 to P56 per kilo. From P23, prices of ampalaya were pegged at P30 per kilo, up by P7 while prices of repolyo scaled up from P10 to P15.

 

Other vegetables whose prices went up were Baguio beans, P24 to P35; carrots, P24 to P26; and potatoes, P18 to P20.

 

Aside from the bad weather, De Castro also attributed the increase in prices of tomatoes and onions to the low output in Central Luzon owing to the fact that its off-season for the two vegetables.

 

During the palengke tour where he was accompanied by Mayor Enteng Eusebio, De Castro also inspected the weighing scales of vendors which were found to be correctly calibrated. He lauded the city government of Pasig for an orderly and clean Mutya ng Pasig Public Market which is considered a huwarang palengke.

 

At the Concepcion Market in Marikina City, prices of basic goods and prime commodities were also stable and similar to the price situation in Pasig. De Castro only noted that the prices of dressed chicken are more expensive at Concepcion (P140 per Kilo) than at Pasig (P90 to P100). In Marikina, De Castro was accompanied by Congressman Del De Guzman and Vice Mayor Marion Andres.

 

Ref no. VPMEDIA 05-105