Villar seeks price ceiling on onion in selected areas

Senator Cynthia Villar on Monday called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to put in place a rice ceiling on onion in areas where price are unusually high.

In certain markets, onion is now selling at P120 per kilogram, said the senator who chairs the Committee on Agriculture and Food during a hearing at the Senate on Monday.

“Yan ang problema natin, ayaw niyong maglagay ng price ceiling kasi pinipilit niyo iba ‘yung price control sa price ceiling,” Villar told Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

“Under price control, you have to declare a state of calamity while in price ceiling you don’t have to declare a state of calamity,” she said.

According to the Republic Act No. 7581 or the “Price Act,” if the prevailing price of any basic necessity is excessive or unreasonable, the implementing agency may recommend to the President the imposition of a price ceiling other than the prevailing price.

Piñol said he presented the idea to the economic managers, but they did not agree.

“I presented this to economic managers but they rejected the idea. They said it will not work,” the Cabinet official said, noting that a similar measures in the past did not help address rising prices.

Instead, Piñol ordered the importation of additional supplies to bring down commodity prices.  —VDS, GMA News