Department of Agriculture (DA) officials have once again reminded Filipinos that pork isn't the sole source of protein available to them.
This, as DA Spokesperson Noel Reyes acknowledged Tuesday, Feb. 23 that some markets in Metro Manila still sell pork at P350 a kilo, which is P50 to P80 above the price ceiling being imposed by the national government.
"Ang sources ng protina hindi lamang baboy, manok. May isda, soy beans at siyempre ang pinakamura sa lahat, itlog (Pork and chicken aren't the only sources of protein. There's fish, soy beans, and of course the cheapest of all, eggs)," Reyes said during an online press briefing.
Reyes, who holds the position of assistant secretary, admitted that pork vendors in the metropolis still charge up to P350 a kilo amid the hog shortage.
"Yes, yan po ang namo-monitor namin pero gumaganda naman po sa ibang palengke ang status po nito (Yes, that's what we've been monitoring but the status is improving in other markets)," he said.
According to him, 3,072 individual hogs have been delivered to Metro Manila from various regions in the country as of 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. The resulting pork will be sold at local public markets within the price ceiling of P270 to P300 a kilo, as stated under Executive Order 124.
Ching Caballero, DA's undersecretary for agri-industrialization and for fisheries, also stressed that the Filipino families' protein options shouldn't be limited to pork. "Kasi kung titignan natin ang ating pang araw- araw na pagkain, hindi naman tayo araw-araw na kumakain ng baboy (Because if we look at our daily meals, we don't eat pork every day anyway)," she said during the same briefing.
"So it really pays to look at the nutrition requirement of every household and see how the balance way of apportioning yung intake natin sa iba't ibang sources ng protina (and see how to balance the intake of protein from its different sources)," said Caballero.
"We have to be healthy, we have to eat nutritious food to fight the COVID (coronavirus disease) pandemic," she further stated.