Solon wants House probe into garlic price hike

A party-list congressman on Tuesday filed a resolution asking the House Committee on Agriculture and Food to investigate the state of the local garlic industry following the steep increase in the price of garlic over the past weeks.

 

The price of garlic has risen dramatically, with the current price hovering between P300 and P400  per kilo in major markets in Metro Manila.

 

In light of this, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon filed House Resolution No. 1521 urging the House panel look into “the sudden spike in the price of garlic in several areas in the Philippines and assess the status of the local garlic industry in light of the said occurrence.” 

 

“Instead of resorting to larger imports, there is a need for Congress to assess the current situation of the local garlic industry, especially in Central Luzon and the Ilocos regions, which produce about 70 percent of the country’s total garlic production,” Ridon said.

 

Ridon added that while increasing garlic imports may ease prices in the short term, it might not be enough to assure the stability of garlic prices in the long run.

 

The National Garlic Action Team (NGAT) has previously proposed the approval of 932 permits for the importation of garlic to increase the supply in the following months.

 

The NGAT which is tasked to investigate the hike in garlic prices, has pinpointed two factors that may have contributed to the increase - the supposed lower supply of imported garlic, and the high demand for local garlic produce that is driving the price up.

 

However, the DA's special action team has yet to determine the actual causes.

 

Possible "artificial shortage" caused by hoarding of supplies by garlic traders is also being probed by the government.

 

Ridon said that while the DA's effort to track down hoarders is "laudable", it will not be sufficient in the long run.

 

The lawmaker also pointed out that by increasing the garlic imports, the administration showed its lack of framework for the sustainable development of the local garlic industry. Furthermore, he said that the government was not able to adhere to the free-market framework of the World Trade Organization and the Asian Free Trade Association. 

 

Prior to the Philippines' entry to WTO, there was a law that actually prohibited the importation of onions, potatoes, garlic and cabbages - Republic Act No. 1296.

 

“The said law protected the budding local garlic industry from foreign competition, thus largely contributing to its sustained growth during that time. However, Congress repealed this law in 1996 through Republic Act No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tarrification Act to adhere to WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture,” Ridon explained in HR 1251.

 

Ridon also called on the Congress to craft much-needed legislation to help revitalize the said industry for nationwide self-sufficiency, considering that garlic is one of the staple cooking ingredients, with each Filipino consuming an average of 1.5 kilos of garlic annually. —Janelle Cosino/NB, GMA News