FOLLOWING the price freeze currently in effect in the whole country, the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-Davao) has released the prevailing prices of basic goods and commodities and urged the public to report those who defy the prices set.
National Food Authority (NFA) regular milled rice is pegged at P27 per kilogram (kg) while the price of imported regular milled rice is at P29/kg to P35/kg.
Imported well-milled rice and imported premium rice should only be at P34/kg to P38/kg and P40/kg to P44/kg, respectively.
For local commercial rice, the price of the special is set at P48/kg to P60/kg, premium at P45/kg to P47/kg, well-milled at P41/kg to P44/kg, and regular milled at P33/kg to P38/kg.
Meanwhile, the price of corn grits should be at P28/kg to P38/kg.
For vegetables, the price of ampalaya (bitter gourd) should be at P60/kg to P80kg, sitao (string beans) at P45/kg to P60/kg, pechay at P50/kg to P80kg, squash at P25/kg to P35/kg, tomato at P30/kg to P45/kg, carrots at P65/kg to P90/kg, and habitchuelas (Baguio beans) at P55/kg to P80/kg, white potato at P80/kg to P90/kg, and chayote at P6/kg to P8/kg.
The prices of eggplant, radish, and cabbage are between P40/kg to P60/kg.
For fish, the price of milkfish (bangus) is set at P160/kg to P190/kg, tilapia at P130/kg to P150/kg, mackerel scad (galunggong) at P190/kg to P240/kg, tuna at P380/kg to P420/kg, big-eyed scad (matambaka) at P220/kg to P250/kg, pirit at P180/kg to P210/kg, and tamban at P90/kg to P110/kg.
The Agriculture department also pegged the prices of livestock and poultry products.
The prices of beef rump should remain between P300/kg to P360/kg, beef brisket at P220/kg to P260/kg, pork ham/kasim at P180/kg to P210/kg, pork belly/liempo at P200/kg to P220/kg, whole chicken at P150/kg to P170/kg, and chicken eggs at P5.75 to P6 each.
For fruits and root crops, calamansi and lakatan bananas should be sold at P40/kg to P60/kg, and latundan banana and papaya at P25/kg to P30/kg.
The price of mango should only be at P100/kg to P120/kg while pummelo should be at P80/kg to P90/kg.
Other basic commodities included in the monitoring of the Agriculture department are refined sugar (P48/kg to P55/kg), brown sugar (P38/kg to P42/kg), and palm cooking oil (P50/kg to P55/kg).
DA-Davao information officer Noel Provido said the prevailing prices are based on the prices of the basic and prime commodities at Bankerohan Public Market and Agdao Public Market, the two biggest public markets in Davao City.
“Sa mga probinsya dapat mas barato kay mas mahal baya diri kay naa pa bayay freight cost. And mas mahal ang standard of living sa city. Sa probinsya mas barato kay murag pila lang na from the farm to the nearest market (The prices should be cheaper in the provinces because they do not have to pay huge freight costs in delivering to their nearest market. In Davao City, the freight cost is big and the standard of living is more expensive than in the province),” he said.
He also urged consumers to report any irregularities in the prices of goods especially while the country is under price freeze.
“They could always call the attention of the DA or DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) kung naay mag-hoard kay kinahanglan man gud. In this health emergency, mas dapat i-stabilize nato ang mga prices (If there are people who will hoard because, in times of health emergency, the prices should be stabilized),” he said.