As prices of onions and pork continue to climb ahead of the holiday season, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is preparing to reimpose Maximum Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) on selected imported products.

At the Mangaldan public market, Menandro Loresco bought only ₱20 worth of imported red onions, saying his budget could no longer stretch to a full kilo.

“Wala tayong magagawa d’yan… Ay, walang kilo, pira-piraso na lang,” he said.

Vendors expect onion prices, both local and imported, to rise further as demand increases. The DA confirmed it is considering reinstating price ceilings on key imported items, including onions.

The proposal, however, has stirred concern among some sellers.

“Ay yun ang problema… yun ang problema, hindi na lang kami bibili. Ipaubos na lang namin ‘yung sibuyas na meron pa kami,” Ernesto Aquino, an onion vendor, said.

The DA’s planned MSRP will also cover imported pork, which many low-income buyers continue to rely on.

“Ito na lang binibili ko kasi ito ang kaya ng budget. Pag sa ano, hindi kaya,” Anastacia Sera, a shopper who often chooses imported pork because it is cheaper, said.

Vendors of imported pork said current prices, ranging from ₱220 to ₱300 per kilo, remain manageable for their customers.

“Parehas lang, Ma’am. Depende kasi sa karne… kaya pa naman ng mga customer,” Larry Balanon, a meat vendor, said.

Based on DA’s target pricing, liempo should not exceed ₱370 per kilo, while kasim and pigue will be capped at ₱340 per kilo. Imported red and white onions and carrots will have a suggested price of ₱120 per kilo.

Market monitoring will continue at the local level.

“‘Yung monitoring naman natin, mache-check naman natin ‘yung differences ng presyo. At kung may nakita tayo differences, kino-coordinate naman natin sa DTI at sa public market supervisors,” Ferdinand Bacani Jr., agricultural technologist of the Mangaldan Agriculture Office, said.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) welcomed the move, saying it protects consumers without harming local producers.

“Yung sa atin na local product naman, ang laban natin is ‘yung fresh harvest. And ‘yun sa pork naman, ang market natin is ‘yung mga naghahanap ng fresh na baboy,” Engr. Rosendo So, SINAG chairperson, said.

The DA aims to enforce the new MSRPs on or before December 1, 2025.