CALAMBA CITY, Laguna — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reassured the public on Friday, March 20, that the national food supply remains robust and prices of essential goods will stay stable despite ongoing global tensions, following commitments from major manufacturers to freeze price hikes.
The President issued the statement after inspecting the Laguna distribution center of Century Pacific Food Inc., the country’s largest producer of canned goods.
“Ang supply ay hindi kailangan na mag-alala ang taong-bayan. Ang food supply natin ay sapat kahit na pangmatagalan,” the President stated during his visit to the facility.
President Marcos noted that manufacturers have pledged to absorb costs to shield consumers from immediate inflation for the next few months.
“At bukod pa roon ay sila naman ay pumapayag na to keep the prices na hindi tataas ang presyo hangga’t kaya nila. Kaya siguro mga isang buwan, ‘yung iba baka dalawang buwan hindi magagalaw ‘yung presyo,” he added.
According to the President, the visit aimed to solidify coordination between the government and private sector suppliers to maintain a steady flow of commodities. He emphasized that Century Pacific and other major processors have provided formal assurances regarding their inventory levels.
The Chief Executive reiterated that the administration will continue to stringently monitor market prices and supply chains to protect the welfare of Filipinos amidst current international economic challenges.
For its part, Century Pacific confirmed that its production capacity and inventory remain sufficient despite the logistical hurdles posed by current geopolitical conflicts.
The company acknowledged that while global events can fluctuate the costs of fuel, shipping, and raw commodities, they have successfully mitigated these risks through long-term forecasting to avoid supply gaps, reducing reliance on single-source suppliers, and leveraging 26 warehouses and seven modern manufacturing hubs nationwide.
The inspected distribution center in Laguna alone boasts a capacity of 1.1 million cases, equivalent to approximately 36 million cans of food products, including tuna, sardines, corned beef, and dairy.| PCO
