MANILA – Community bakeries across the country are matching a move by their bigger competitors to maintain the prices of Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal until Dec. 31 this year, to help Filipino consumers enjoy the Christmas season despite high inflation.
Philippine Federation of Bakers’ Associations, Inc. (PFBAI) vice president Lucito Chavez said his group, which includes community bakeries nationwide, is supporting a measure to hold off price increases of these basic food items implemented by industrial bakeries last week.
“As much as possible, we are doing everything so we will not go at the same time with high inflation. So at least in a way, bakers can serve Filipino citizens,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday night.
Chavez said Pinoy Tasty will still be sold at PHP35/loaf, and Pinoy Pandesal at PHP21.50 per pack.
He said they are keeping their prices despite the rising cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and diesel, and the 37-percent to 40-percent increase in the cost of sugar.
Chavez said he is optimistic that higher sales volume during the holiday season would help them recoup the increase in their costs.
Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal, which are low-cost breads sold generically by most bakeries, were born out of a joint project between the Department of Trade and Industry and the bakers' group. This underscores the industry’s corporate social responsibility to provide accessible and affordable bakery products to the consumers, Chavez added. (PNA)
