Palace assures enough fish supply, stable prices

MANILA – Malacañang guaranteed Thursday that the government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), is monitoring the prices of fish and fish products in the wet markets.

In a virtual press conference, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said DA is on top of the situation to ensure that prices of fish, including galunggong (round scad), would not go up.

“Imo-monitor po natin itong mga presyo hindi lamang ng ng galunggong pati ‘yung ibang mga presyo ng pagkain po natin (We will monitor the prices, not just of galunggong, but also of other food items),” Nograles said. “So this is something that the Department of Agriculture is on top of.”

Senator Grace Poe earlier proposed the imposition of price freeze on galunggong after its price in wet markets went up.

The price of galunggong stood at PHP240 to PHP260 per kilogram at select markets.

President Rodrigo Duterte, through Executive Order 124 signed on Feb. 1, only imposed a price cap on select pork and chicken products in Metro Manila for 60 days.

EO 124 implements a price ceiling of PHP270 per kilo for pork kasim and pigue, PHP300 per kilo for pork liempo, and PHP160 per kilo for dressed chicken.

Nograles said the proposed imposition of price ceiling on fish products was not discussed during the Cabinet meeting held Monday.

He said the DA’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is coordinating with various fish folk organizations to stabilize the price of galunggong and other fish varieties.

“The Department of Agriculture is also working very closely, together with the BFAR, with our different fisher folk groups and organizations,” Nograles said.

The BFAR earlier lifted a three-month closed fishing season on galunggong in northeastern Palawan to increase the supply of the fish variant in Metro Manila’s wet markets.

On March 2, BFAR and DA’s Philippine Fisheries Development Authority also set up an “IsDA on the Go” stall at the ground of Quezon City Hall to provide an affordable and steady supply of fish.