Pork prices dip in Metro Manila markets as holidays near

Pork prices have dipped in some Metro Manila markets, narrowing the price gap with chicken as supermarkets and government agencies prepare for the holiday shopping season.

According to Bernadette Reyes' report on 24 Oras Weekend on Saturday, pork kasim and pigi (pork leg) were selling for P240 per kilogram, while liempo (pork belly) cost P280 per kilogram at Litex Market in Quezon City.

The lower prices have encouraged some consumers to choose pork as they try to stretch their household budgets amid rising living and transportation costs.

“Pork is a more affordable option now, especially with the cost of living being so high. Jobs are hard to come by, and transportation fares are expensive,” one lady buyer said.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) assured consumers that pork supplies would be sufficient through the holiday season and into early January.

“Our requirements for the holiday season, probably through early January, have already been ordered. We see no reason to worry about a possible pork shortage this holiday season,” DA spokesperson Arnel De Mesa said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said manufacturers and retailers had agreed to keep the prices of covered basic necessities and prime commodities stable until Dec. 31, 2026.

However, the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association (PAGASA) cautioned that the agreement did not cover all products sold in the market, leaving room for price increases in other goods.

PAGASA attributed possible increases to the same factors that drove costs earlier in the year, including the conflict in the Middle East, higher fertilizer, fuel, and logistics costs, and a weakening peso that raises financing costs.

The group advised consumers to avoid impulse buying and focus on essential purchases.

One shopper, Mark Francisco, said he continued comparing current prices with those from the previous month and bought only what his household needed. He said the prices of the canned goods he monitored had remained unchanged.

The DTI is also expected to release its price guide for Noche Buena items, covering food and non-food products, as it steps up monitoring and enforcement ahead of Christmas.

The DA said strengthening local agricultural production remained important to ensuring adequate supplies during the holidays.— MCG, GMA News

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