Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture (DA) will step up this year the monitoring of prices in wet markets, particularly in major urban centers across the nation, as part of a tougher push to keep food prices fair and stable, warning retailers that unjustified price hikes will not be tolerated.
Tiu Laurel said the DA will strictly enforce existing rules requiring traders and retailers to explain sharp increases in the prices of basic agricultural products, including rice, vegetables, fish and meat. Those who fail to cooperate may face formal complaints and further investigation in coordination with other enforcement agencies, he said.
“We have already issued show-cause orders. I want the summaries of their explanations submitted to me so we can study what cases to file,” Tiu Laurel said. “i want cases filed. Sometimes, you need to create a paper trail. It’s a deterrent.”
The agriculture chief said that retailers who submit incomplete or misleading reports on pricing and sources of supply could be cited for providing false information. While the DA’s has limited enforcement authority, Tiu Laurel stressed the importance of close coordination with the appropriate enforcement agencies in implementing rules against profiteering and other prohibited acts under the Price Act.
“If they are not cooperating and the information they give is false or lacking, that becomes subject to further investigation,” he said. “The mere fact that the police are asking questions already makes a difference. We are not talking about arrests, but calling them in to explain where their goods really come from.”
Tiu Laurel added that if false statements are uncovered during investigations, more serious charges such as perjury, specifically for statements made under oath, may be pursued. “When someone lies during an investigation, that’s already a case. That’s where accountability comes in,” he said.
He acknowledged gaps in the current legal framework and renewed his call for stronger enforcement powers for the DA, noting that proposed legislation is being prepared in Congress to create a dedicated enforcement arm similar to the DTI’s Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau.
In the meantime, the DA will focus its intensified price monitoring on major urban centers such as Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao, where price spikes have the biggest impact on consumers.
Tiu Laurel pointed to the recent decline in onion and rice prices as proof that stricter oversight works. “Prices have gone down—from P300 to P200 a kilo, and now even lower in some areas. Clearly, there is an effect when there is monitoring and pressure,” the DA chief said. “We just have to keep at it to protect consumers and ensure fair trade.”
