MANILA, Philippines — Several public markets in Metro Manila continue to sell pork cuts above the government’s suggested retail prices (SRPs), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said, following intensified market monitoring operations jointly conducted with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

During recent inspections, DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Atty. Bebang Guevarra said pork liempo was being sold at P420 to P440 per kilo, while kasim or pigue was priced between P370 and P380—higher than the SRPs of P380 and P350 per kilo, respectively.

“This is alarming, especially since the farmgate price of pork remains around P250 to P255,” Guevarra said.

The inspections are part of the DA and DTI’s joint “Bantay Presyo” initiative, which aims to curb overpricing of essential goods such as pork and rice. Market monitoring teams composed of personnel from the DA, DTI, Philippine National Police, local government units, National Meat Inspection Service, Bureau of Animal Industry, and Food Terminal Inc. have been deployed to various markets in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The DA has also set a maximum retail price of P45 per kilo for imported rice with 5 percent broken grains.

Guevarra said hog producers have pledged to maintain a farmgate price ceiling of P230 per kilo during their consultations with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., to help stabilize retail prices.

While enforcement is ongoing, Guevarra said the focus is also on building cooperation with vendors and encouraging compliance with price guidelines, especially as delivery costs have dropped in some areas.

As part of the Bantay Presyo initiative, the DA is also reviewing the pork value chain to identify cost drivers and price markups from farms to retail markets.

The DA reiterated the importance of price transparency in markets, urging vendors to clearly label prices of goods to protect consumers’ rights.

Market administrators, including San Juan Agora Market’s Arthur Alfredo Aquino, expressed support for the price monitoring drive, committing to enforce compliance with SRPs and price tagging rules.