Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, along with officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and representatives from Food Terminal Inc., visited New Marulas Public Market in Valenzuela City early Friday, with primary focus on the implementation of maximum suggested retail price on both imported rice and local pork.
This surprise visit followed a report from Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian, who highlighted that rice labeled “President”, tagged as local but suspected to be imported was being sold for P62 per kilo in Marulas Market, P13 above the MSRP of P49 per kilo for imported rice.
During the visit, Asec. Guevarra noted that the DA team did not find the “President” brand in most stalls. “We were informed that the Local Government Unit (LGU) had met with retailers and instructed them to suspend the sale of President Rice, as it is currently under investigation,” she said in her report to Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel.
Despite this, the team collected samples of other rice brands, including Bachelor, Kokuyo, and Shining Star, for quality checks. Representatives from the DA Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) already collected samples of “President” rice yesterday.
Secretary Tiu Laurel praised Mayor Gatchalian and the Valenzuela LGU for their vigilance in protecting consumers’ access to affordable goods.
“We express our gratitude to the Valenzuela LGU and Mayor Gatchalian for their swift actions in safeguarding consumer welfare. We need more proactive measures like this to prevent unscrupulous traders from exploiting Filipino consumers, especially hardworking families trying to make ends meet,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel.
In addition to rice, New Marulas Public Market vendors were found selling pork above the established MSRPs: P380 per kilo for liempo, P360 for pigue and kasim, and P300 for sabit ulo (pig carcass). According to agreements made during consultative meetings between the DA and pork industry players, the farm gate price should be P230 per kilo.
“Liempo was priced at P420, kasim and pigue ranged from P370-380, while sabit ulo was priced at P305. However, the farm gate price remains at P230,” Asec. Guevarra said. She added that the pork supply, sourced from Tarlac, reflected a significant price variation from the agreed-upon farm gate price.
Asec. Guevarra also emphasized the importance of vendors adhering to regulations by displaying price tags, allowing consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions.
Regarding poultry, Asec. Guevarra noted that chicken prices had slightly increased, with prices rising by P10-P20 per kilo compared to the previous month. Vegetables sourced from Balintawak saw price increases of up to 30 percent.
Asec. Guevarra recommended to Secretary Tiu Laurel the need for more surprise visits at different times of the day to ensure that prices remain consistent.
She also thanked the police for providing an escort during the visit. “A salute to our law enforcement officers!” she said.
