FORMER senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino
is urging the government to find ways to keep the cost of raw materials affordable to ensure that the prices of food remain stable.
Aquino said that if the prices of raw materials used for food production remain cheap, food manufacturers can easily afford them, produce more and increase their earnings.
“Ang pinakamahalaga diyan ay iyong input cost, iyong mga pangunahing produkto, kailangan talaga maibaba natin ang presyo…Simulan natin sa mga agricultural products, sa bigas, sa baboy, sa manok, sa mga gulay. Iyon talaga ang kailangang pababain ang presyo kasi pagdating sa pamilyang Pilipino, iyong pagkain, napakataas ng porsyento ng ating budget pupumunta talaga sa pagkain (The most important thing is the input cost. Prices of raw materials should be kept low…Let us start with agricultural products – rice, pork, chicken, and vegetables. We need to lower the prices of these products because a big chunk of our daily budget goes to food),” Aquino said.
He made the pitch as he held a dialogue with licensed producers of “chicharon” or cracklings in San Rafael, Bulacan who complained that the high prices of imported back fat, back skin, and pork belly have led to higher production costs.
But while their spending costs have gone higher, the chicharon makers said they cannot impose a price increase for fear that they will not be patronized anymore.
They also complained that illegal chicharron makers have also taken a share of the market, further cutting down their earnings.
