A consumer group calls for a price freeze on Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal saying there is no basis for the increase.
“There is no basis for an increase of P4 or any other amount because these are basic breads and are part of a CSR (corporate social responsibility) project. Why should you increase prices of a CSR project?,” said Vic Dimagiba, convenor of Laban Konsyumer Inc. Dimagiba said Pinoy breads make up 10 percent of the production of bakers and have their own captive market.
“There is not much business when you only hold 10 percent of the market and several players have to share that 10 percent,” he added.
For Dimagiba, it may be high time to review the possibility of including branded bread in the suggested retail prices (SRP) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“We have no idea whether or not branded bread products are overpriced,” Dimagiba said.
He added a P4-increase in both Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal could push up the prices of branded products.
“It goes without saying that branded bread will be more expensive than the increase in Pinoy Tasty,” Dimagiba said.
Lucito Chavez, whose Tinapayan Festival is part of the community bakers group, said the DTI is negotiating for a lower price increase on Pinoy Pandesal of P3.50 to P27 per pack of 10 instead of P27.50 but no final decision has been made.
But one community baker said this CSR project of the big bakers and the DTI had negatively affected small bakeries around big supermarkets where consumers have access to these affordable breads.
The official said Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal practically kill the small bakeries.
Big bakers, the official said, have branded and premium products which can subsidize their CSR breads.
