THE national average retail price for regular-milled rice in late July was P41.47 per kilogram (kg), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a report.
Prices rose 0.6% in the July 15 to 17 period, which the PSA refers to as the second phase of July, compared with prices between July 1 to 5, or the first phase.
The PSA said that the highest retail price was recorded in Northern Mindanao at P43.32 per kg.
At the low end was Cagayan Valley with regular-milled rice prices at P37.01 per kg during the period.
The PSA said that the average price for a kilogram of well-milled rice was P45.68 per kg.
The highest average retail price of well-milled rice was in the Central Visayas at P48.38 per kg; while Ilocos Region reported the lowest average of P41.88 per kg.
The government imposed a temporary price cap on regular-milled rice of P41 per kg and well-milled rice of P45 per kg via Executive Order No. 39.
The PSA also said that a kilogram of pork belly (liempo) averaged P338.43 per kg during the second phase of July.
The highest average price was in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) at P377.4 per kg. Western Visayas was at the low end at P292.25 per kg.
It added that the average price for a kilo of galunggong (round scad) was P202.62 per kg.
The PSA said that the highest retail price was also recorded in Calabarzon at P267.20 per kg, with the lowest in Zamboanga Peninsula at P133 per kg.
The average price for carrots during the period was 156.87 per kg during the period.
Bicol region reported the highest retail price at P198.2 per kg, while Cordillera Administrative Region was the lowest at P103.14 per kg.
The average prices of red onion, carabao mango, and brown sugar were P204.15 per kg, P143.62 per kg, and P83.2 per kg, respectively. — Adrian H. Halili
