The Department of Agriculture (DA) is targeting the reintroduction of a suggested retail price (SRP) for pork in Metro Manila markets by the last week of July or the first week of August, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said Thursday.
“Our target is the end of July or early August. But it may be delayed slightly because we still need to set up 38 market booths across Metro Manila,” Tiu Laurel said during a market monitoring activity in Alabang City.
The initiative includes the installation of freezer systems, the deployment of delivery trucks, and the hiring of drivers. The project is being led by Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), a government-owned and controlled corporation.
Tiu Laurel explained that FTI acts as a non-profit intermediary, buying pork directly from farms and supplying it to retailers. This eliminates middlemen and reduces supply chain costs.
“We’ve been doing this for a month now—buying directly from farms, delivering pork to retailers, and letting them keep a margin. FTI still earns, but more importantly, we’re helping bring down pork prices,” he said.
Retailers will be allowed a markup of P30 to P50 per kilo—P50 for fresh pork and P30 for frozen—although the final figures may vary depending on negotiations.
“We’re introducing more competition, which will pressure other retailers to lower their prices,” Tiu Laurel said, noting that pork will initially be sourced from three farms in Pampanga and Tarlac.
Currently, pork prices are at P380 per kilo for liempo, and between P340 and P350 for pigue and kasim.
Tiu Laurel also clarified that the P500 million he requested from Malacañang is not intended for immediate use but will serve as a contingency fund should additional resources be required.
“For now, the program is being run using FTI’s existing resources. Our goal is a sustainable model that doesn’t rely on government subsidies,” he said.
“I’m thinking of something that doesn’t need to be subsidized. There are too many middlemen, agents, and wholesalers. Their margins are too big, and that’s what we’re trying to eliminate,” Tiu Laurel added.
The DA aims to deliver a total of 150,000 metric tons of pork to Metro Manila markets through January 2026.
