IMEE: WHAT BITE IS LEFT IN THE EVER-SHRINKING PANDESAL?

Senator Imee Marcos has expressed worry that the staples of an ordinary Filipino's breakfast and merienda will continue to shrink and no longer satisfy a groaning stomach.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, said consumers would surely balk at the three-peso increase that producers of pandesal and Tasty bread are asking for.

"With the way things are going, pandesal might just shrink to the size of a marble," Marcos said.

"Rising raw material costs and operating expenses are forcing producers to increase their prices while customers' budgets remain tight amid the pandemic," she added.

In pushing for the three-peso increase in the prices of Tasty bread and pandesal, producers cited that the present Php35 per loaf and Php21.50 per 10-piece bag date back to 2016.

Marcos called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to consider a price freeze on raw material costs to ease the burden of neighborhood bakeries in particular.

The senator added that another solution would be to import flour on a government-to-government basis, but only for emergency use.

A longer-term solution would be to add value to bread by increasing its nutritional content as with the famous protein-enriched Nutribun in the 70's, Marcos said.

"Like the Nutribun, bread can be made with locally available non-wheat flours from camote, cassava, monggo, squash, potato, and rice. It can further be protein-enriched with peanut and malunggay," Marcos explained.

Cost comparisons for wheat-based flour in 2020 and 2022 showed the price of first-class flour rising from Php670 to Php970, all-purpose flour from Php900 to Php1,140, and third-class flour from Php600 to Php890.

The cost of LPG used for bread ovens also shot up from Php52 per kilogram in 2020 to Php65.15 today.

The costs of other bread ingredients also went up from Php2,386 to Php3,476 for a 40-kilogram pail of shortening, from Php2,100.15 to Php3,490 for a 45-kilogram pail of margarine, from Php2,200 to Php3,100 for a 50-kilogram bag of sugar, and from Php1,890 to Php2,200 for the same amount of brown sugar.

Milk products also reflected cost hikes of Php4,100 to Php5,700 for a 25-kilogram bag of skimmed milk powder, 1,820.16 to Php1,951.20 for 48 cans of evaporated milk, and Php2,566.56 to Php2,679.84 for the same quantity of condensed milk.

Only bread improver and instant dried yeast remained unchanged at Php1,500 and Php1,950 per case, respectively.

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(Tagalog version)

IMEE: GA-HOLEN NA PANDESAL, GUSTO NIYO?

Nangangamba si Senador Imee Marcos na paliit na ng paliit at hindi na makabusog ang pandesal na almusal at pang meryenda ng ordinaryong Pinoy.

Ayon kay Marcos, chairperson ng Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, tiyak na tutol ang mga konsyumer ng tinapay sa hirit na tatlong pisong dagdag presyo pero hindi na rin anya makayanang di ipatupad ng mga panadero.

"Sa nangyayari ngayon, baka maging ga-holen na lang ang laki ng pandesal," ani Marcos.

"Napipilitang magtaas ng presyo ang mga panadero dahil nagmamahal ang materyales at pagpapatakbo ng negosyo habang gipit pa rin ang mga badyet ng mga mamimili sa gitna ng pandemya," dagdag ng senadora.

Una nang iginigiit ng producers na makatwirang itaas ng tatlong piso ang presyo ng Pinoy Tasty at pandesal dahil hindi nagbago ang presyo nito mula pa noong 2016 na Php35 kada loaf at Php21.50 kada sampung pirasong pandesal.

Sinabi ni Marcos na pwedeng manghimasok o magtakda ang DTI ng price freeze sa mga raw material upang hindi mabigatan ang mga maliliit na panadero sa bansa.

Dagdag ng senador, ang isa pang panandaliang solusyon ay ang pag-import ng arina ngunit government-to-government na usapan at pang-emergency use lamang.

Ang mas pang-matagalang solusyon ay ang pagdagdag ng nutrisyon sa mga tinapay na ginamit na sa kilalang Nutribun noong dekada '70.

"Gaya ng Nutribun noong araw, ang tinapay ay pwedeng dagdagan ng mga sangkap na lokal gaya ng camote, cassava, monggo, kalabasa, patatas, at bigas. Pwede pa lalong pagyamanin sa protina, gamit ang mani at malunggay," paliwanag ni Marcos.

Kung ikukumpara ang halaga ng gastos para sa harina noong 2020 at 2022, lumalabas na ang presyo ng first-class na harina ay nasa Php670 hanggang Php970, nagkakahalaga naman ang all-purpose flour ng Php90 hanggang Php1,140, at ang third-class flour naman ay mula Php600 hanggang Php890.

Ang gastos sa LPG ay lumobo ng Php13.15 mula sa Php52 kada kilogram noong 2020 sa Php65.15 sa kasalukuyan.

Tumaas rin ang iba pang sangkap sa tinapay mula sa Php2,386 naging Php3,476 kada 40-kilogram na balde ng mantika, mula sa Php2,100.15 hanggang Php3,490 kada 45-kilogram na balde ng margarine, mula sa Php2,200 hanggang sa Php3,100 kada 50-kilogram bag ng asukal sugar, at mula sa Php1,890 hanggang sa Php2,200 para sa kaparehong halaga ng brown na asukal.

Sumipa na rin ang presyo ng gatas mula sa Php4,100 naging Php5,700 na ang 25-kilogram bag ng skimmed milk powder; Php1,820.16 hanggang Php1,951.20 naman ang 48 lata o (1 kahon) ng evaporated milk, at mula sa Php2,566.56 naging Php2,679.84 na ito para sa kaparehong dami ng condensed milk.

Tanging ang mga pampaalsa lang ng tinapay at ang tuyong lebadura ang hindi nagbago ang presyo na nasa Php1,500 hanggang Php1,950.