Prices of canned sardines to go up by December

Prices of canned sardines are set to go up by P0.50 to P0.60 per can starting December 1, 2018, according to the Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) on Wednesday.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, CSAP President Marvin Lim said the adjustment was mainly due to the increase in the prices of raw materials like fish and of petroleum in the past months.

"Maraming factors. Mataas po ang presyo ng diesel, mataas ang presyo ng tamban, ang forex (foreign exchange)... maraming factors po, hindi lang isa," he said.

Lim said the increase was supposed to be implemented last September 1, but the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) asked the group to defer it for three months to help consumers deal with the then-rising inflation.

"Bago pa lang mag-September 1 may request sa DTI na magtataas pero hiniling nila Sec. Mon [Lopez, DTI secretary] na tulungan niyo kami, huwag muna kayo magtaas. Kami naman willing tumulong pero in-assure nila kami na December 1 puwede na kami magtaas," he said.

Lim also said the recent drops in fuel prices in the world market, though a good development, have no effects in the stocks of sardines currently in the market.

"'Yung sinasabi nila na pagbaba ng diesel, maganda 'yun pero 'di naman po natin agad-agad na mararamdaman iyon. Unang-una po 'yung stock level po ng sardinas ay three to six months. Yung ginawang sardinas noon kasagsagan ng pagtaas ng diesel," he said.

The P0.50 to P0.60 price adjustment per can may further be increased depending on the situation, Lim said, but added such will not happen if the prices of goods remain stable.

"Pag nakita natin na gumanda presyo ng bilihin natin wala naman tayong nakikitang kakailanganin na tumaas pa kasi siyempre pag sobrang taas na ng presyo ng sardinas eh baka po wala nang bibili, iba na bibilhin ng mga consumers," he said.

"So 'yun din po ang iniingatan natin." —KBK, GMA News