Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
Prices of some foods, particularly imported, are starting to increase again in February after posting declines last month as local products become the cheapest option, government data showed.
The common staple well-milled rice was pegged at P56.21 per kilogram, coming from the prices of P55.42 and P55.48 last month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.
Galunggong, on the other hand, had increased to P214.78 per kilogram from between P213.34 and P206.69 in January.
Fresh beef meat also saw a price increase at P421.91 per kilogram from P418.61 and P419.56 last month.
Popular Filipino ingredients such as tomato also posted a significant rise to P102.25 per kilogram from P78.25 and P81.84.
Meanwhile, red onion cost less this month at P174.44 per kilogram from P188.37 and P199.10.
Metro Manila price situationer
The lowest prices of well-milled rice can be found in the Agora Public Market in San Juan with prices around P43 to P50 per kilogram, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In Metro Manila, a kilogram of local special rice costs P54 to P68 while premium rice is around P50 to P61.
Imported galunggong, though, has a lower price at P180 to P260 per kilogram, but the milkfish bangus can go as low as P140 per kilogram to P250.
Imported rice will cost a consumer from Metro Manila P57 to P65 per kilogram for special rice, P52 to P65 for premium rice, P50 to P56 for well-milled rice, and P50 to P51 for regular milled rice.
A local white onion has a price range of about P50 to P120 per kilogram as its imported counterpart has prices of P90 to P120.
Local garlic is more costly with a price of P400 per kilogram, based on data from DA, compared to the imported garlic at P130 to P165.
Fruits were priced around P80 to P115 for calamansi, P60 to P130 for banana lakatan, P40 to P100 for banana latundan, P40 to P80 for papaya, and P120 to P240 for mango. — Xander Dave Ceballos
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
