IMEE: INFLATION RATE EASES BUT FOOD PRICES STILL BEYOND REACH

Senator Imee Marcos has questioned the disconnect between high food prices and the reported decrease in the country's inflation rate.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, said that if the inflation rate, which is heavily indexed on food, has really eased to 4.5%, then food prices should have already gone down.

"The NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) claims inflation is down but food remains pricey and unmoving. I trust NEDA but no one is feeling lower inflation, with such expensive food," Marcos said.

Marcos added that lifting the strict enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the NCR Plus bubble of Metro Manila and four neighboring provinces should have also helped in reducing market prices.

"As usual, the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) is sleeping on the job while abusive traders and retailers are having a ball," Marcos said.

"The DTI's price watch has become meaningless to 4.2 million Filipinos who have lost their jobs and have no money to spend, plus the 6.6 million who are looking for additional work to make ends meet," Marcos added, citing employment data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

A week before an ECQ was imposed March 29 in the NCR Plus bubble, per kilo wet market prices ranged from Php320-Php370 for pork liempo, Php300-Php350 for pork kasim, Php130-P185 for bangus, Php100-P150 for tilapia, Php240-Php300 for alumahan, and Php165-Php200 for chicken.

Last Friday, prices reached as high as Php420 for pork liempo and Php380 for pork kasim, Php200 for bangus and Php340 for alumahan, with tilapia prices unchanged, and only chicken easing to Php130 to Php180.

"The DTI should step up its surprise inspections and not hesitate to apprehend profiteers and make an example of them," Marcos said.

(Tagalog version)

IMEE: INFLATION RATE BUMABA, MGA BILIHIN DI PA RIN ABOT-KAYA!

Kinwestiyon ni Senador Imee Marcos ang hindi pagkakatugma ng mataas pa ring presyo ng pagkain sa mga palengke sa iniulat na pagbaba sa inflation rate ng bansa.

Sinabi ni Marcos, pinuno ng Senate committee on economic affairs, na dapat tapyas na ang mga presyo ng pagkain dahil malaki ang epekto ng mga ito sa pagkalkula ng inflation rate na sinasabing bumaba na sa 4.5%.

"Totoo kaya yung sinasabi ng NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) sa inflation rate? Kasi di ramdam sa palengke at grocery!" sinabi ni Marcos.

Kinalampag ngayon ni Senadora Marcos ang Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) dahil sa nananatiling mataas ang presyo ng pagkain kahit na rin inalis na sa ECQ o enhanced community quarantine and Metro Manila at apat na karatig probinsya na nagbubuo sa tinawag na NCR Plus bubble.

Binigyang diin ni Marcos na tila kumukuyakoy na naman ang DTI at papetiks-petiks kaya namamayagpag na naman ang mga mapagsamantalang negosyante.

"Heto na naman tayo, wala na namang nag-iikot na DTI at nanghuhuli, tila natutulog naman sa pansitan, ano ba!" diin ni Marcos.

Giit ni Marcos, mas dapat paigtingin ngayon ng DTI ang bantay-presyo dahil wala nang perang pambili ang mga tao, sabay banggit na nasa 4.2 million ang bilang ng mga walang trabaho at 6.6 million ang naghahanap ng dagdag trabaho, ayon sa rekord ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Isang linggo bago ipatupad ang ECQ noong March 29 sa NCR Plus bubble, ang presyo sa palengke kada kilo ng pork liempo ay nasa P320-P370, ang pork kasim nasa P300-P350, ang bangus nasa P130-P185, tilapia nasa P100-P150, alumahan nasa Php240-Php300, habang ang manok ay nasa P165-P200.

Nitong Biyernes, tumaas ang mga presyo hanggang Php420 sa pork liempo, Php380 sa pork kasim, Php200 sa bangus, Php340 sa alumahan, habang pareho pa rin sa tilapia, at bumaba lamang sa Php130-Php180 ang manok.

Panawagan ni Marcos, hindi dapat mapako sa pa-update-update lang ng E-presyo o online price monitoring, sa halip mas epektibo anya kung linggo-linggong gawin ang suprise inspection ng DTI sa ibat-ibang palengke, at kung may lumabag, agad na sampolan at hulihin.