MEAT and fish prices rose in early March, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a report.
The price of fresh pork belly (liempo) in the March 1-5 period, which the PSA calls the first phase of March, rose to P384.08 per kilo from P378.84 in the previous monitoring period of Feb. 15-17 and P375.02 a month earlier, the PSA said.
It said a kilo of round scad (galunggong) retailed for an average of P235.26 per kilo in early March, against P231.24 in the second phase of February and P226.43 a month earlier.
The government imposed a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) of P380 per kilo for liempo and at P350 for kasim (shoulder) and pigue (rear leg) beginning March 10.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) also imposed a maximum suggested price of P300 per kilo on traders when they pass pork on to retailers.
The level of compliance with the pork MSRP remains low over a week since it took effect, the DA said on Monday, attributing the persistent high prices to the high wholesale prices charged by traders.
The government first applied the MSRP scheme to rice, initially setting it at P58 per kilo.
The PSA said a kilo of regular-milled rice averaged P46.30 per kilo at retail during the first phase of March, against P47.19 in the second phase of February and P47.77 a month earlier.
Inflation eased to 2.1% in February from 2.9% in January as rice inflation dropped to 4.9%, the sharpest decline since April 2020.
The PSA said tomato averaged P75.65 per kilo at retail during the first phase of March, against P90.64 in the second phase of February and P109.42 a month earlier.
In early March, the farmgate price of tomato was as low as P4 per kilo in some parts of the country due to excessive supply.
The PSA said native garlic retailed for a national average of P185.73 per kilo during the first phase of March, against P183.75 in the second phase of February 2025 and P182.35 a month earlier.
Carabao mango averaged P176.99 per kilo at retail on March 1 to 5 from P182.74 in the second phase of February and P191.19 a month earlier.
The PSA said the average retail price of cooking oil increased was P171.18 per liter in early March from P170.20 in the second phase of February and P170.24 a month earlier. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
