DA vows to keep prices stable

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture has vowed to keep food prices affordable as inflation eases amid the pandemic.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the DA would continue to work on keeping food prices affordable and accessible amid the challenges brought about by COVID-19.

Headline inflation, which measures the growth in the consumer price index, decelerated to 2.4 percent in August from 2.7 percent in July and 1.7 percent in August 2019.

This brought the eight-month average to 2.5 percent, still within the government’s inflation target of two to four percent.

The lower inflation rate in August was attributed to the stable prices of basic commodities. Slower increment was seen primarily for fish, chicken, pork and some vegetables during the month.

“This shows that the ‘whole of nation approach’ advocated by President Duterte is really working and effective in attaining desired results,” Dar said.

“We will continue to pursue vigorous partnerships with the local government units, farmers’ cooperatives and associations, the private sector, and major agri-fishery industry players,” he said.

The DA assured the public that it would elevate efforts to pursue major interventions to ensure adequate, accessible and affordable food to all Filipinos amid the pandemic and onto the ‘’new normal.’’

For his part, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua said that improving the supply chain would ensure low and stable inflation in the country.

Key strategies being pushed by the government include boosting agricultural production, both in the rural and urban areas, managing the supply and allocation of agricultural commodities, and facilitating the delivery of vegetables and other agricultural commodities to Metro Manila and other regions.