DTI urged to consider the plight of local food manufacturers amidst pandemic losses
Manila, Philippines– Another local food industry group has joined ongoing calls for the revisiting of prices of basic necessities.
In a statement, Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) Executive Director Francisco “Bombit” Buencamino believes that there is no more reason to hold the price increase for basic necessities. “The pandemic protocols have cost us so much money and inappropriately sustaining the current suggested retail prices (SRPs) could lead to further job losses in the industry,” he said.
Buencamino shared that the canned sardines industry, which employs no less than 15,000 workers locally as of 2017 is also just trying to survive amidst the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
Recently, the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc. (PCFMI) has urged the DTI to revisit the SRPs of basic necessities to help recover from the losses due to the pandemic. CSAP reaffirms the concerns raised by the Food Chamber, which is also reeling from the losses due to the slowdown of economic activity since the start of the pandemic.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provides an SRP list of basic necessities and prime commodities which include canned and other food products, bottled water, dairy, and common household supplies. However, the irregularity of its posting made many businesses sacrifice revenues more than they can afford.
The CSAP also recently submitted a Position Paper on the Prevailing Price and Suggested Retail Price to the DTI, underscoring that the Price Act does not require the agency’s prior approval for price increases but retailers still give notice to DTI before implementing any price increase.
Moreover, the paper stressed that manufacturers are compelled to adjust prices to the SRP even though there is no Prevailing Price or a Ceiling Price. Otherwise, their products would be pulled out from the shelves or be subjected to rebates to fall back on the prevailing SRP levels.
“Everyone has taken a blow from the pandemic but the DTI prolongs our pain by not considering the concerns of food manufacturers,” Buencamino added. Manufacturers of basic necessities have long waited for an adjustment in the prices of basic necessities, including canned meat, milk, and seasoning among others.
With this, CSAP calls on the DTI to regularly consult both food manufacturers and retailers to assess whether the prices are still fair and just to all parties.
“We’ve been waiting for far too long. Several businesses have closed and Filipinos have lost their jobs which is why we can only hope that DTI will start to listen and help the food industry reasonably recover before it’s too late,” Buencamino said.
