Dominador B. Mondragon Jr., who identifies himself as president of the Consumer Rights Organization Philippines Inc., says he is saddened by the story that the lowly galunggong (GG), the so-called poor man’s fish, is now imported.
After being thrust into the limelight in anti-martial law rhetoric for being beyond the reach of the poor, the galunggong, like all other things and people used by politicians as symbols of what they planned to accomplish in office, slipped into obscurity.
The GG, of course, had long disappeared from the diets of poor families, as even the locally caught variety had become too expensive. Even rice is increasingly becoming a luxury. Instant noodles, filled with salt and artificial flavoring, now feed families, including children who desperately need proper nutrition.
Mondragon alleges that what has put the GG beyond the reach of many Filipinos is that its price “is manipulated by monopolies, which control its supply with the apparent support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Department of Agriculture (DA).”
He says GG importation has gone on for years, covered by government permits. Mondragon claims the permits are given only to a few favored importers. As with other imported stuff, he says the price and supply not just of GG but also of other marine products are manipulated by the importers, who also enjoy duty and tax exemption.
Mondragon adds that the Department of Trade and Industry should revisit its formula for establishing the suggested retail prices (SRP) of fish. He says “the landed cost of galunggong, as declared in the (Bureau of) Customs entries filed by the importers, is only P19.50 per kilo. Allowing a 100-percent mark-up for local distribution costs and a very generous profit margin, the SRP for galunggong should only be P40 per kilo.”
In fact, Mondragon says DTI should slash prices of basic commodities by as much as 60 percent based on customs declarations filed by importers.
Mondragon also called on government to dismantle monopolies, particularly in the food industry, to ensure free and fair competition so prices will truly reflect the market situation.
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Pat Samia says, as a Pasig resident, she is not just proud of the city’s recent moves to ban smoking in establishments, but also of another ordinance enacted by the local government.
Ordinance No. 09-2010, “An Ordinance Banning the Use of Plastic/Styrofoam,” has encouraged people to bring their own reusable bags when shopping. Samia says, “At the place where I do my grocery (shopping), the Pioneer Center, consumers now bring their own eco-bags. The supermarket also uses brown paper bags and corrugated carton boxes as packaging for items bought from them. Even the Jollibee branch within the center has adopted this practice.”
She adds that garbage collection has also improved. Garbage is collected daily. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, trash that is “nabubulok” (wet) is collected. Garbage that is “hindi nabubulok” (dry) is collected on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Samia says, “I wish other cities and municipalities would follow Pasig City’s example. We do not need another Ondoy to remind us of the perils of irresponsible garbage disposal and lack of concern for the environment.”
Actually, I think other cities also have the same schedule for the collection of wet and dry garbage. But how many people actually follow it? In my neighborhood, while I segregate garbage, everybody else seems to just throw anything and everything whenever they want to, any day of the week.
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