DTI: No change in prices of sardines, canned meat, noodles

Prices of basic goods like sardines, canned meat products and instant noodles have remained unchanged, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported yesterday.

In its latest price monitoring report, DTI said canned sardines in tomato sauce is still priced between P12.00 and P12.50 per 155-gram can.

The DTI earlier promised to work for stable prices this year.

Other commodities with stable prices are processed milk, coffee, vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce and toilet soap.

However, data from the Department of Agriculture showed a 5.88 percent hike in the price of liempo (pork belly) to P180 per kilo this month from P170 in mid-December.

The prices of other meat products as well as poultry remained steady.

The price of galunggong went down by 16.67 percent to P100 per kilo from P120 per kilo.

Prices of tomato and cabbage also went down, but those of ampalaya (bitter gourd) and eggplant went up.

The price of rice, meanwhile, ranges from P30 to P42 per kilo. Sugar and cooking oil prices have also remained steady.

The price of cement also did not change in spite of government efforts to reduce it. A bag of cement costs P205 to P210.

Last year, the government removed the tariff on imported cement in a bid to increase supply and drive the prices down.

The government also removed the tariff on wheat in the hope of reducing the prices of flour and of bread.

The prices of flour have remained unchanged this year.

However, the flour and bread industry expect further cuts in prices in February when new shipments come in.