Setting SRP on fish meant to stabilize price movements —BFAR

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Saturday that subjecting three fish varieties under a suggested retail price (SRP) is meant to stabilize and monitor price movements.

"Suggested retail price...during unusual situations, emergency situations kailangan pumasok ang gobyerno para naman ma-stabilize ang presyo," BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

Gongona said that setting up suggested retail price on three fish varieties—milkfish or bangus, tilapia, and galunggong—will allow the government to monitor price movements as prices were observed to go up unusually.

On Monday, the Department of Agriculture implemented the SRP on select agricultural products, including regular-milled rice with an SRP of P39 per kilo. 

The other products are:

• milkfish or bangus — P150 per kg
• tilapia — P100 per kg
• galunggong — P140 per kilo
• red onion — P95 per kg
• white onion — P75 per kg
• imported garlic — P70 per kilo

With the SRP in place, prices of goods may only go up by a maximum of 10 percent from the suggested price.

"So ito ay nagbibigay lang ng signal na dapat ay 'wag mong itaas... It should not go beyond SRP. Meron kang limit para itaas 'yun," Gongona said. —Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News