Vendors go on ‘holiday’ as pork, poultry price caps begin

Several market vendors on Monday went on a “pork holiday” due to the fear of going bankrupt amid the price caps imposed by the government.

According to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras,” pork and poultry vendors decided to sell frozen meat products instead amid the caps.

“Wala kaming fresh ngayon kasi natatakot kami na baka mamaya kasuhan po kami o kaya’y kunin ‘yong mga kalakal namin. Siyempre susunod din tayo kaso nga lang ‘di kami humakot,” a vendor at the Marikina Public Market said.

Reynaldo Santos, a poultry vendor, said his supplier told him that no deliveries would be made on Monday.

“Sabi ko nga sa supplier ko kahapon, kung sakaling dumating ang DTI sa amin, ‘yong resibo niyo papakita namin at ‘yong contact number ninyo para kayo ang sumagot sa DTI. Ang sagot po sa’kin wala munang delivery ngayong araw na ‘to,” Santos said.

Vendors at the Kamuning Market and Commonwealth Market also decided to sell frozen meat products instead.

Earlier, Malacañang appealed to vendors who went on a pork holiday to resume operations, saying government aid would be enough for them to survive.

“May mga grupo na nag-declare ng pork holiday, meron rin pong nanawagan ng pagkain ng alternative protein sources. Sinusuportahan po natin iyong panawagan for consuming alternative protein sources, pero nakikiusap po kami sa mga nagtitinda ng baboy na ipagpatuloy niyo po ang pagtitinda,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a briefing.

The pork holiday was held on the first day of the implementation of the price cap ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte in response to a request from the Department of Agriculture.

Under the President’s executive order, a price cap for kasim and pigue was set at P270 per kilo, P300 for liempo, and P160 for dressed chicken per kilo. The price cap will last for 60 days.

The DA requested a price cap due to soaring pork prices caused by the Asian swine fever (ASF) problem and the COVID-19 pandemic. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News