Prices of rice increase in some Cebu City markets

These are the current prices of different kinds of rice at the Inayawan Public Market in Cebu City as of March 18, 2020. CDN Digital photo | delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The price of rice has increased at least P100 per sack or an increase of P1 per kilo in the Inayawan Public Market here. 

A week prior to Cebu City being placed under general community quarantine, the price of rice ranged from P33 for broken rice to P47 for fancy rice per kilo. 

Today, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the price has increased to P34 for broken rice to P49 for fancy rice per kilo. 

A 35-year-old vendor at the Inayawan market told CDN Digital that the price per sack has increased because the prices at the Tabunok Market in Talisay City, where they get their stocks, also increased. The increase began last Friday, after the declaration of closure of Cebu ports due to the coronavirus crisis. 

“Nimahal sila kay iclose daw ang ports. Wala na daw gani Ganador,” said the vendor. 

(It became more expensive because the ports were closed. There isn’t even Ganador rice anymore.)

As of now, Inayawan vendors no longer sell to customers per sack to avoid shortage of supply. 

“Naglisod na mig ginansya kay nimahal ang sako nya moprovide pa mig bolseta sa customer,” the vendor said. 

(We’re having a tough time making profit because the prices per sack increased and yet we still sell bags of rice to customers.) 

The vendors in Inayawan urged market distributors in Tabunok to avoid hoarding to rack up the prices of rice. 

They said this move would not help the consumers as they have to increase the rice per kilo just to earn a profit. /bmjo