Around 2,000 live hogs from South Cotabato have been transported to Metro Manila to boost supply and bring down the retail prices of pork products in the country’s metropolis, Malacañang said on Wednesday.
In an announcement aired over state-run PTV-4, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the 2,000 live hogs have arrived in Tondo, Manila and will be brought to different markets in the National Capital Region (NCR).
“Kabahagi po ito ng ating mga hakbang na ginagawa para maibsan nga po ‘yung kakulangan ng baboy dito sa Metro Manila nang sa ganoon ay bumaba po ang presyo ng baboy, at least umabot doon sa price cap na sinet po ng ating gobyerno (This is part of measures undertaken to address the shortage of pork supply in Metro Manila so that the prices of pork products will go down, at least to the price cap set by the government),” Roque said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) also approved on Jan. 28 the designation of special hog lanes to ensure the unhampered shipment of pork products from Luzon and Mindanao.
The rising food prices in the country amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic also prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to sign Executive Order 124 on Feb. 1 to impose a price cap on selected pork and chicken products in the NCR for 60 days.
EO 124 implements a price ceiling of PHP270 per kilo for pork kasim and pigue, PHP300 per kilo for pork liempo, and PHP160 per kilo for dressed chicken.
Roque said the government would ensure the unhampered shipment of live hogs to Luzon from African swine fever (ASF) free areas.
He added that the government would allow the importation of pork products from abroad if the supply remains insufficient.
“Patuloy naman po ang pag-aangkat natin ng baboy (The shipment of live hogs to Luzon will continue),” Roque said.
The Department of Agriculture is set to conduct a food security summit with local government units and the private sector to discuss ways on how to ensure food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic. (PNA)
