As Catholics go meatless on Holy Week, prices of fish go up

Photo by Tina Panganiban-Perez

Prices of fish and other seafood have gone up as Catholics mark Holy Week.

Catholics abstain from eating meat as a form of fasting during Holy Week.

In a wet market in Quezon City, the price of bangus is now P180 to 200 per kilo, up P20 to 30 per kilo from last week.

The suggested retail price (SRP) of bangus is P162 per kilo.

Tilapia, on the other hand, is P130 per kilo, up from last week’s P120 per kilo.

The SRP of tilapia is P120 per kilo.

“Kaunti lang kasi ang supply. Walang biyahe,” fish vendors said.

“Semana Santa na kasi. Sarado ang palengke sa Huwebes Santo at Biyernes Santo,” they added.

According to Agriculture Secretary William Dar, “It’s the law of supply and demand.”

Traders and vendors are allowed a 10 percent profit.

But if they go beyond the said percentage, they are asked to explain by the Department of Agriculture.

When asked if the department will penalize the vendors, Dar said, “We can be very lenient, meanwhile, but seeing to it that we mobilize more food supplies. Basta wala lang maantala, it will come back to normal itong presyo.”

Dar assured the public that there is an adequate supply of food while Luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine.

“We have enough supplies coming from the various provinces around Metro Manila,” Dar added. —LDF, GMA News