SENATE Majority Leader Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino has expressed concern over the continuing increase in the prices of vegetables, particularly ginger.
During the public market price watch segment of his radio program “Usapang Tol,” the senator flagged the price of ginger (luya), which has sharply risen to as much as P320 per kilogram as of Monday.
The latest increase amounted to an average of P100 per kilo, as he noted that ginger was being sold at around P220 pesos just last week.
“P320? It was just P220 last week. That’s incredibly expensive,” exclaimed the senator.
In light of this, Tolentino wants the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to probe the root cause of the high cost of ginger, an essential ingredient for the common Filipino household.
“When you buy fish, it’s natural to buy ginger. Even if fish prices go down, the high cost of ginger offsets it,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the senator welcomed the enforcement of a price freeze to protect consumers in areas affected by the eruption of Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island.
It may be recalled that Tolentino previously urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to implement a price freeze on basic goods at the height of the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
