DTI: No price hike for 205 basic goods

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April 9, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Prices of basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) will remain unchanged until April 30, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“For the BNPCs, the 205 products on the list of DTI, no price increase up to April 30,” Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday, citing the commitment made by manufacturers.

BNPCs in the DTI list are canned sardines, canned meat, coffee, processed milk, instant noodles, condiments, laundry soap, toilet soap, candles, salt, battery, bottled water and bread.

While there are no expected price increases for now, Roque said that some manufacturers have already been affected by rising logistics and input costs.

She said the DTI will continue monitoring activities to ensure there would be no increases at the retail level.

In a random monitoring by the DTI on 30 establishments yesterday in Bulacan, prices of basic and prime commodities remain stable with no price increases.

Monitoring was conducted in supermarkets, grocery stores and public market stalls in the cities of Malolos, Baliwag, San Jose del Monte and the municipality of Santa Maria.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. yesterday said prices of goods remain reasonable, with tilapia at P150 per kilo, bangus at P240 per kilo. Dressed chicken had abundant supplyu.

“This summer, we’re OK but after summer, it will be a challenge but we have enough supply. Supply is not an issue,” he told reporters.

He noted that there would be a chance of price increase on local pork with the current price at P355 per kilo and imported pork at P250 per kilo.

He is also hopeful that the executive order on the P50 per kilo price cap on imported rice will be issued by the end of the month.

“We see (profiteering schemes) in rice, that is why we wanted to put a rice cap,” he added.

For local rice, the official said there’s a lot of harvest and the price might even go down.

However, he advised that we should have enough buffer stock of rice.

“We have to stock up on rice. In every situation there is a conflict. The normal thing to do, we have to have a buffer stock,” he said.

Asked if other commodities may possibly have a price cap, he said it depends if there would be profiteering.

“We have to protect the consumers. We have to protect the farmers. We have to make sure that we have enough supply and as of the moment, we have enough supply,” he added.

Fisherfolk operations

Almost half of the marginal fisherfolk in several Luzon provinces have stopped going out to sea after the latest spike in petroleum prices rendered their operations financially unsustainable, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) warned.

Speaking at a Senate committee on agriculture and food hearing, SINAG executive director Jayson Cainglet revealed that the number of grounded fisherfolk in Cavite, Bataan, Zambales and Pangasinan surged following the latest oil price hike on Tuesday. – Josiah Antonio, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Neil Jayson Servallos