A DAY before Chinese New Year, prices of “tikoy” that are being sold along R. Magsaysay Ave., Davao City increased.

For this year, tikoy are sold from P150 to P650, depending on size. Last year it was around P200 to P250. Meanwhile, hopia are sold at P75 to P150 per pack.

Josephine Viray, a tikoy vendor, said the price increase is because of the high cost of sugar and flour.

“Nimahal ang asukal, ang malagkit nimahal, pero still mopalit japon ang tao kay lagi pampakapit ng suwerte (The price of sugar has increased, the price of malagkit rice also increased, but still people will buy because see tikoy could attract luck),” Viray said.

Based on the latest Department of Agriculture’s agriculture department’s monitoring, sugar is priced from P87 to P110 per kilogram for refined; P83 to P95 per kilogram for washed; and P80 to P95 for brown sugar.

For Mary Galacio, a vendor who sells tikoy online, she said that despite increasing prices, the delicacy still sells well, and is still well-loved by Filipinos.

“Wala naman pong problema sa paggawa po, ngayon nga po naubusan kami ng stock galing sa suppliers (We don’t have any problems in tikoy production, actually we used up of all of our stocks coming from our suppliers),” Galacio said.

The traditional food tikoy or also known as nián gāo in Chinese is a delicacy commonly enjoyed during Chinese New Year. (ICE)