Amid rising fish prices following recent typhoons, fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) has urged the government to impose price control on essential fish products.
Based on the group’s latest market monitoring, a significant surge in retail prices for staple fish, with galunggong (round scad) now priced at ₱220 to ₱240 per kilogram, tilapia at ₱160 to ₱180 per kilogram, and bangus at ₱180 per kilogram.
“Hindi ang bagyo at lalong hindi mga mangingisda ang dahilan ng pagsirit ng presyo ng isda sa palengke, kundi ang mga pribadong trader na sinasamantala ang kalamidad para manipulahin ang presyo (Neither the typhoons nor the fishers are to blame for the spike in fish prices. It is the private traders who exploit the calamities to manipulate prices),” Pamalakaya Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo said in a statement on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Arambulo noted that while the farm gate price for tilapia remains between ₱50 and ₱60 per kilogram, retail prices have tripled, reaching as high as P180.
He attributed this discrepancy to traders and the government’s failure to buy fish directly from local fishers at fair prices, which would make them more affordable for consumers.
To prevent traders from exploiting fish prices, Arambulo urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to take concrete steps, either through direct purchase from fishers or by implementing price controls.
Pamalakaya said its call is rooted in Republic Act 7581, or the Price Act, which provides for “Automatic Price Control” to curb illegal manipulation, including profiteering on essential goods.
Arambulo stressed that urgent government intervention is needed to protect both consumers and small fishers, who remain vulnerable to price exploitation.
The recent typhoons, Kristine and Leon, have caused major disruptions in the Philippines, hitting agriculture hard and pushing up market prices.