DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo with the members of the Philippine Baking Industry Group (PhilBaking)

DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez reassured the public that flour and bread prices will remain stable, especially with the coming holiday season, after flour and bread associations gave their commitment to DTI after separate meetings on Oct 11 that Pinoy Tasty will remain at Php 35.00 per 450-gram loaf, Pinoy Pandesal at Php 21.50 per 250-gram pack, and Harinang Pinoy at Php 670 – 680 per bag. The prices of these products have been decreasing over the years. In Oct 2011, Pinoy Tasty was at Php 38.50 and Pinoy Pandesal was Php 25.00. Meanwhile, Harinang Pinoy started in 2012 at an original price of Php750 per bag.

“Our mandate is to make sure that manufactured products are kept at reasonable prices. We assure the public that they will always have affordable options for staple items like bread and flour,” said Secretary Lopez.

Pinoy Tasty, Pinoy Pandesal, and Harinang Pinoy are DTI initiatives to provide affordable options for Filipinos. PhilBaking members—including Gardenia, French Baker, Uncle George, Tiffany, and Marby—produce the generic bread to sell it at the same price. Harinang Pinoy is a project with the Philippine Association of Flour Millers (PAMFIL).

DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo, and the Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Zenaida C. Maglaya with the Philippine Association of Flour Millers (PAMFIL)

“The prices of Pinoy Tasty, Pinoy Pandesal, and Harinang Pinoy are even decreasing. I urge the consumers to always choose quality, yet more affordable options when buying products,” said Secretary Lopez.

PAMFIL said that there are now 21 flour millers in the country and total imports are equivalent to one miller’s worth of flour. They said that competition is keeping their prices low and they are committed to keep the price of Harinang Pinoy at Php 670 – 680 per bag.

Likewise, the Philippine Baking Industry Group (PhilBaking) guaranteed that they will keep the prices of Pinoy Tasty at Php 35.00, as it has been for the past 3 years. Because of these cheaper options, bread companies choose not to drastically increase the prices of their brands to maintain their market share.

Following President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s directive to increase the supply of basic commodities like bread and sugar to reduce prices, DTI also committed to help bread makers with their sugar requirements. This includes the direct importation of sugar to the target cost of Php1,800 – Php1,900 per bag.♦

Date of Release: 12 October