00:00Several retailers at the Maraquina Public Market were found selling important red onions and liempo above the maximum suggested retail price.
00:09This during the joint price and supply monitoring conducted by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry.
00:16Here's Gab Villegas with the details.
00:20Romel went to the market this morning to buy ingredients they will be needing in the coming days.
00:25Romel bought ground pork and beef. For him, having the maximum suggested retail price or MSRP on the products he purchased is a big help.
00:33To ensure that retailers are complying with the MSRP, the Department of Agriculture or DA and the Department of Trade and Industry or DTI conducted another special joint price and supply monitoring inspection at the Maraquina Public Market.
00:49Here, officers of the DA and DTI surveyed the places within the market to see if they were complying with the MSRP.
00:56During their survey, the two agencies observed that the price per kilo of imported onions still remained higher than the MSRP in some stalls.
01:04The price of imported white onions in the Maraquina Public Market ranges from 140 to 150 pesos per kilo, while imported red onions are priced at 200 pesos per kilo.
01:15Higher than that of the DA's MSRP of 120 pesos per kilo for imported white onions and 150 pesos per kilo for imported red onions.
01:25Because of this, the DA issued a notice to explain to five retailers who were found selling above the set MSRP.
01:32According to Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevara, retailers are overly buying from the suppliers.
01:38Base po doon sa mga napadala na nating NTEs before at yung mga sagot nila, hindi po naman nila masabi kung ano yung pangalan po nung mga pinagkukuhanan.
01:47Sinasabi nila na binabagsak lang sa kanila, iba-iba daw yung nagpapadala sa kanila, hindi daw nila alam yung pangalan.
01:54So medyo may challenge po tayo doon sa pag-delve or pag-imbestiga dito sa rason kung bakit po hindi makasunod sa MSRP.
02:05The DA also noticed that the price per kilo of liempo is higher.
02:09Liempo is being sold at Maraquina Public Market for 400 pesos per kilo.
02:13This is higher than the DA's set price of 370 pesos per kilo.
02:17If the DA sees explanation of the retailers who were given a NTE slack merit,
02:22it would warrant further investigation.
02:24When we say further investigation, we're asking the help of yung ating DTI of course,
02:30and yung ating mga kapulisan na para po yung, lalo na kung hindi po sila masyadong nasagot,
02:37o parang wala po, dead ma lang, we will be asking the help of our, especially of the help of our law enforcement,
02:44para po talaga makompel sila na sumagot.
02:47Ang gusto nating malaman nga e, kung kasaan sila kumuko.
02:51Para hindi po sila yung, kasi sila yung frontliners natin, yung mga retailers.
02:55Para po talagang, hindi po sa kanila mapunta yung bigat nung allegation na baka meron pong nangyayaring profiteering dito,
03:05so pang aabuso, so gusto po natin talagang matrace kung saan po nang gagaling talaga yung taas ng presyo.
03:12If so, this could lead to the cancellation of their permit, closure of their business as well as punishment,
03:18if it is proven that they are involved in profiteering.
03:21The Agriculture Department is also now seeing that the price of lowland vegetables is high
03:26due to the lack of supply caused by the cold weather,
03:29and is expected that the price will return to normal within the arrival of summer.
03:33One of the things the DA is also studying is the plan to have Food Terminal Incorporated
03:38or FDI also compete with the market to further reduce the price of basic commodities.
03:43Gab Villegas from the National TV Network for New and Better Philippines.
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