MANILA – Manufacturers are asking the government to set a suggested retail price on tamban to help moderate the prices of canned sardines.
Bombit Buencamino, executive director of the Canned Sardines Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, said the price of tamban had yet to decrease considerably despite the ongoing fishing season.
“After the closed fishing season which was from December to February dapat marami na yun isda and there should have been a more recognizable drop in price,” Buencamino said.
“E, hindi nangyayari ‘yon dahil hindi nakakahuli yun dapat humuli ng isda,” he added.
Buencamino said manufacturers were bound by zoning laws which limited the catch of commercial fishing vessels.
“Commercial fishermen are the only ones that have the proper gear to catch them but they are not allowed. There is a 15-kilometer limit,” Buencamino said.
He said fishermen of certain municipalities had access to areas rich in tamban but were not well equipped.
Today price of tamban is pegged at P30 per kilo, or two pesos lower that the price before the fishing ban began in December last year.
Buencamino said the high cost of fuel and other cost components prevented manufacturers from lowering the retail price of canned sardines.
He recalled tamban used to sell at only P16 to P18 per kilo.
“Umakyat na ng umakyat because of higher fuel cost and then you have the TRAIN Law,” Buencamino said.
“Tin plates are also getting costly because of the US dollar conversion. E, imported tin plates natin,” he added.
Trade secretary Ramon Lopez said the department was open the imposition of an SRP on fish.
However, Lopez said it would have to consult the Department of Agriculture as fish was an agricultural commodity.
“‘Yan din naman isda depende naman talaga sa supply and demand e. ‘Yun huli din dyan kung maganda ang huli, maramig isda. Bababa ang presyo,” Lopez said.
“Pero kung pahirapan din ang supply natin diyan, ang hirap din lagyan ng SRP. Pero may mungkahi na kaming ganyan. meron kaming request lagyan na rin ng SRP ‘yung isda. Para lahat medyo manage natin ang cost structure ng canned sardines,” he added.
Buencamino said that some manufacturers of canned sardines had yet to increase prices as their requests were still pending with the DTI.
“Meron ibang nabigyan what we are appealing sana naman hindi maging selective merong nabibgiyan meron hindi. dapat parepareho sana merong konting adjustment,” Buencamino said.
Lopez said they were using the same formula in approving request for price adjustment.
“Bawat brand meron kaming cost structure model na kalinya ‘yung kanilang mga costing du’n at saka pagka may gumagalaw na cost ng raw materials. ‘Yun po ina-adjust at kung anong lumabas na parang ideal price nila yun ang nagiging basehan kung papayagan natin ang pag-adjust ng presyo,” Lopez said.
Some sardine brands have increased prices, Lopez said.
He said those brands whose requests for price adjustments had not been acted on were most likely premium brands.
“Kung sila po yun nandun naman sa premium na brand, puede naman maapprove yan pag niremove na natin sila sa listahan,” Lopez said.
“Nagno-normalize naman ang ating inflation. Bumababa na. We are now considering or studying na ibalik din sa normal yun ating listahan,” he added. (ABS-CBN News)
