The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are intensifying the joint Bantay Presyo market monitoring operations across the National Capital Region (NCR) to prevent profiteering and uphold consumer protection.
The inter-agency initiative seeks to ensure compliance with the government’s maximum suggested retail prices (MSRPs) for essential food items, particularly rice and pork.
Market inspection teams comprising of DA and DTI officials, the Philippine National Police (PNP), concerned local government units (LGUs), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) were deployed to inspect both public and private markets throughout Metro Manila.
The DA said it enforced MSRPs for basic commodities in the NCR such that pork liempo is priced at P380 per kilogram; pork kasim or pigue at P350 per kilo; and 5-percent imported rice at P45.
DA assistant secretary for agribusiness, marketing and consumer affairs Bebang Guevarra recently led a monitoring operation, personally checking the prices of rice and meat in various markets across Metro Manila.
“During our market visits, we found liempo being sold at P420 to P440 per kilo and kasim or pigue at P370 to P380, prices that clearly exceed the MSRPs. This is concerning, especially since the current farmgate price of pork remains around P250 to P255 per kilo,” she said.
Hog producers, in consultations with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., pledged to cap farmgate prices at P230 per kg. to help stabilize retail pork prices.
Guevarra said while enforcement remains a priority, the primary goal of the inspections is to foster collaboration with vendors.
She urged market retailers to follow the government’s pricing guidelines, particularly in light of the recent reductions in delivery costs.
As part of the broader Bantay Presyo campaign, the DA, together with officials from NMIS and BAI, is also leading a comprehensive review of the pork value chain, from farmgate to consumer.
Guevarra said the DA is closely examining the entire supply chain to uncover excessive mark-ups and promote fair practices while exploring direct-to-market meat distribution to help bring prices down.
Guevarra also underscored the importance of transparent pricing.
“Price tags are not optional—they are a fundamental consumer right. Proper labeling encourages transparency and builds trust between sellers and buyers,” she said.