5 days ago
8
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
April 1, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — As the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expects price increases in some commodities after April 15 due to the soaring fuel costs spawned by the war in the Middle East, Malacañang yesterday assured the public that the government would implement all necessary measures to cushion the impact on consumers.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said manufacturers have made the commitment not to raise prices of basic commodities until mid-April in support of the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program.
“There are times when we really cannot prevent (price increases) because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. But government agencies will take every necessary step so that it does not become a burden for our countrymen,” Castro said at a press briefing.
Castro was referring to the UPLIFT program, established under Executive Order 110 recently issued by Marcos that placed the country under a state of national energy emergency.
The initiative serves as a “whole-of-government” response to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque yesterday said there would be no price increase on basic commodities “until April 15,” but price hikes on some items should be expected after that.
Castro said the DTI vowed to conduct weekly monitoring of basic commodity prices.
Rice price cap
The government is set to impose a P50-per-kilo price ceiling on imported well-milled rice to prevent unreasonable price increases and market abuse, President Marcos announced yesterday.
The move was based on the recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC).
“When oil prices rise, food prices follow, that’s what we don’t want to happen,” Marcos said in a video message posted on his official social media accounts. “We will issue the executive order to implement this as soon as possible.”
Adopting the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s proposal, the NPCC said a price cap will “ensure affordable rice while maintaining market stability.”
Based on the NPCC’s recommendation, the price cap will be effective for a period of 30 days.
Marcos said the government is also expanding its P20-per-kilo rice program. There are 627 centers currently selling P20 per kilo rice across the country.
From 600 tons, the government has increased the allocation for P20 a kilo rice to 2,000 tons due to increased demand, he added.
Marcos also said prices of basic and prime commodities remained within the suggested retail price levels, including rice.
Excise tax on oil
Meanwhile, the President said the Development Budget Coordination Committee or DBCC is set to meet this week to present their assessment on the excise tax.
Marcos signed on March 25 Republic Act 12316, granting him the authority to suspend the imposition of excise tax on oil if needed.
The Chief Executive also said the country has a 51-day oil supply as the government works to secure the Philippines’ fuel stocks amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Marcos likewise announced the additional P1.28-billion support that would be handed over to transport workers nationwide starting April 6.
He said more than 256,000 transport workers in Metro Manila have already received P5,000 in cash assistance.
Extreme projections of a food price surge are unlikely as government measures are in place to blunt the impact of the global oil shock, the Department of Agriculture said.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. clarified that the projected worst-case retail prices of food products were based on “extreme assumptions” and excluded any mitigating measures.
He was referring to the DA’s projection, made during last week’s Senate hearing, which warned that pork and chicken prices could exceed P500 and P300 per kilo, respectively, if crude oil averages $200 per barrel and the war continues through August.
“The prices presented assumed the full impact of soaring crude. They did not factor in government action, which we will undertake to protect Filipinos from an oil shock,” Tiu Laurel said.
Rising fuel prices increase the cost of producing, transporting and processing food while also driving up prices of fertilizers, animal feed and other inputs.
Enough pork; vegetables in oversupply
Despite global fuel uncertainties, Tiu Laurel said domestic food prices remain stable, citing sufficient pork inventories and broiler production that continues to exceed demand.
The DA chief also noted that the sector is better positioned to absorb shocks than initially expected, even as surging oil prices continue to pose risks.
In Metro Manila, pork belly and frozen pork shoulder were priced at up to P380 and P250 per kilo, respectively, as of March 30, according to DA data.
A whole chicken, meanwhile, was sold for P135 to P240 per kilo.
Meanwhile, Tiu Laurel said around 18 trucks were dispatched to transport vegetables from Benguet following reports of oversupply in the region that has left local farmers struggling to sell their harvest.
The oversupply in Benguet has left many traders unable to purchase or transport vegetables due to high fuel prices, exacerbating losses for farmers who rely on steady market demand. — Brix Lelis, Josiah Antonio, Louella Desiderio
