No price hike on 17 stock-coded sardine products so far
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) plans to develop a local sardine brand to ensure the affordability of canned sardines in the market, DTI Secretary Cristina Roque said.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Roque said the DTI has been preparing to launch the “Pinoy Sardinas” program, similar to the Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal in the bread and bakery sector. The government program will sell the local sardines brand to the public when needed to stabilize market prices.
Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal were also DTI-led programs participated in by big bakers, which offer affordable alternatives to branded bread. Their prices are regulated by the DTI.
Meanwhile, Roque said the DTI has secured the commitment of sardine manufacturers not to increase their prices following a meeting on Monday.
When sought for details, the DTI’s Supply Chain Logistics (SCL) group said in a text message, the manufacturers’ commitment would stabilize the price of sardines, therefore removing the need for a suggested retail price (SRP) on the product.
The SCL group added that the Pinoy Sardinas program will be led by the Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Department of Science and Technology and its attached agencies such as the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI).
BFAR initially developed an unbranded canned sardines but it was deemed costly at P45 for 155 grams per can, the DTI said.
The price to be set for the Pinoy Sardinas brand has not been determined pending DTI’s review. But based on the latest SRP bulletin released February 2025, prices of the 17 stock keeping units (SKUs) of canned sardines being monitored by DTI rose between 5 and 15 percent, or a range of 2 centavos up to P2.73 per 155-gram can.
An SKU is a code used in keeping track of product stock and inventory. Every canned sardines product monitored by the DTI has a unique SKU code that identifies its characteristics such as variation, size, category, ingredients and recipe.
Prices of these 17 SKUs have, thus, been ranging from P15.25 to P21.25 per 155-gram can.
The SCL said it has developed a study on the supply chain mapping of canned sardines to assist in the determination of components, cost of production, cost of logistics, among others.
On the prices of canned sardines, Roque said sardine manufacturers have committed to maintaining current prices.
She met with the CSAP on Monday to discuss their appeal for a P3-increase per 155g can price amid rising production costs due to global tensions, fuel hikes, and the implementation of the new minimum wage law.
After a thorough dialogue, “I’m pleased to share that our sardine manufacturers have committed to maintaining current prices, there will be no price increase for canned sardines at this time,” said Roque in her post.
The DTI secretary, however, did not say if the sardines manufacturers specified the conditions and the time period under, and during which, there would be no price increases.
Marvin Tiu Lim, chief growth and development officer of Mega Prime Foods Inc., expressed his company’s full support to government efforts to keep food accessible and affordable to all.
“We remain committed to our affordable pricing for Mega Sardines to help ensure that nutritious, affordable food remains within reach for Filipino families,” Tiu Lim said in a text message.
In an earlier interview on June 17, Roque said it has advised CSAP members to spread the cost of their sardine products, such as on premium products, which are not included in the SRP list and can be priced freely.
