BY: ANGELICA ARQUERO
Every day, Clarence and his team cook 10 to 15 kilos of pork in their eatery.
With the rising cost of goods, their budget for operations is being stretched even further due to the increase in pork prices.
To save money, they plan to reduce the amount of meat in their dishes and add more ingredients instead.
Consumers aren’t the only ones tightening their belts, pork vendors are also struggling with slow sales.
Pork prices in some city markets have increased by 10 pesos to 30 pesos per kilo.
For instance, the previous price of liempo at 380 pesos to 410 pesos per kilo is now 390 pesos 420 pesos, while kasim, previously 350 pesos to 380 pesos, is now 370 pesos to 390 pesos.
Pork vendor Lelia takes home unsold meat to her family.
The Department of Agriculture is now considering implementing a maximum suggested retail price to curb pork price hikes.
He added that pork prices exceeding 400 pesos per kilo are unreasonable.
The agency expects to complete its study by the last week of February.
