President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. spearheaded a joint price and supply inspection with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday, March 18, reassuring the public of stable commodity prices and adequate inventory despite global volatility.
The monitoring effort was launched to evaluate the state of basic goods as Middle East tensions drive up international oil prices. During the visit, President Marcos, DTI Secretary Cristina Roque, and DA Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel consulted with market stakeholders and vendors to gather direct data on supply and pricing trends.
Following the inspection at Agora Market, the President noted that prices for essential items have remained steady and that no instances of price gouging were detected.
“Nandito tayo at iniikot namin ang mga iba’t ibang palengke para tiyakin na ang presyo naman ng pagkain natin ay hindi biglang tataas,” President Marcos said. “Dito lang sa Pilipinas, normal lang muna ang ating mga presyohan at tinitiyak nga natin.”
The President further guaranteed that the country has a sufficient stock of goods, particularly staples, and discouraged consumers from panic buying.
“Ang supply natin, maganda naman ang supply natin ng pagkain, ng bigas, lahat ng mga basic goods. Kaya iyong ating mga kababayan, sinasabi natin, hindi naman kailangang mag-hoarding at hindi tayo nagkukulang sa food supply,” the President stated.
He also praised local vendors in San Juan for adhering to the DTI’s suggested price caps. “Our vendors are cooperating. They are keeping the prices at normal from what we were, maybe a month ago. Pareho pa rin. So that’s what we need to maintain,” he noted.
The Chief Executive concluded by promising that the government will persist in its monitoring efforts to protect market stability, especially given the unpredictable nature of the conflict in the Middle East. | PCO
