House speaker seeks price monitoring system improvements

Metro Manila, Philippines - House Speaker Martin Romualdez pushed for improvements in the price monitoring of farm goods to lessen discrepancies in the costs of market products.

In a statement, Romualdez said Department of Agriculture (DA) price estimates do not reflect market price tags.

Citing the price of large white chicken eggs as an example, he said a piece costs P9 to P12, higher than the DA monitoring of P8 to P9.

“Bakit may diperensya sa presyo kahit piso lang [Why is there a variance even if it is just a peso]?” he said on Tuesday, April 1.

“Alam nating ginagawa ng DA ang kanilang makakaya sa pagbabantay ng presyo, pero siguro, mas mainam na dagdagan pa natin ang ating mekanismo sa pag-monitor. Nais nating lalo pang mapabuti ang serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan,” Romualdez said.

[Translation: We know that the DA is doing its best to guard prices but maybe it would be better to strengthen our monitoring mechanism. We want to improve our service to our fellow Filipinos.]

He said the DA and Department of Trade and Industry should work together to get clearer figures, and hoped that the issue would be addressed before the Holy Week.