Piñol calls on public to plant their own siling labuyo amid rising prices

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Monday called on the public to plant their own food items such as chili peppers instead of complaining about the rising prices.

"'Yung sili naman, ano ba namang nirereklamo natin sa sili? Ilang kilo bang sili kakain ng isang tao?" Piñol told reporters on the sidelines of a Senate hearing.

"Dapat ang magreklamo nun, ang mga namimili ng wholesale—Mang Inasal, ganon, pero 'yung gawin pa nating issue 'yung sili, kadali namang magtanim ng sili," he elaborated.

Prices of chili peppers have been reported to have surged amid inclement weather conditions that flooded local farms.

Inflation was recorded at 6.4 percent in August, the fastest in over nine years since it came in at 6.6 percent in March 2009.

The same data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the food and non-alcoholic beverages index grew by 8.5 percent.

"Ang advice ko, 'wag tayong reklamo nang reklamo 'pag dating sa mga ganiyang gulay kasi napakadaling itanim eh," said Piñol. — BM, GMA News