PRODUCTION of the Pinoy Pandesal and Pinoy Pandesal has significantly declined the past years due to rising costs, making it challenging to sustain the subsidies on the bread products.
While big bakers are still committed to continue producing these bread products as part of their commitment to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), production has gone down by 50 percent the last two years alone.
“We can only subsidize so much, but there is still supply in the market,” said Jon Chua, president of the Philippine Baking Industry Group.
Community bakeries have long stopped producing Pinoy Pandesal and Pinoy Tasty, according to Lucito Chavez, president of the Asosasyon ng Pilipinong Panadero.
“Unlike big bakers which have premium products to sell, we cannot afford to grant the subsidies to produce Pinoy Pandesal and Pinoy Tasty,” Chavez said.
Chua said Philbaking is yet to get feedback from the DTI on the group’s petition for a P5 increase on both products.
The last increase was made in February 2023 when bakers agreed to stagger the adjustments from the original petition of P3.
The Pinoy Tasty now costs P 40.50 per loaf while the cost of Pinoy Pandesal per pack is now P25 per pack of 10 reflecting an increase of P2 and P1.50, respectively.
Chavez said these current priceshave widened the gap between regular branded loaf bread and pandesal and of Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal.
This has also sowed confusion to consumers who compare the prices of these products to those sold by small bakeries.
