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MANILA - An industry group called on the government to allow community pandesal bakeries to raise prices, saying the industry was dying because of the rising cost of raw materials used to make the Filipino breakfast staple.

Philippine Federation of Bakers Association said the government must allow community bakers to increase the price of regular pandesal to at least P4, and jumbo pandesal to P8.

Chito Chavez, spokesperson of the group, said the pandesal community bakeries were a "hand-to-mouth operation."

"Yung kinita mo ngayon, pamimili mo bukas, walang malaking bodega na pag-iistockan ng mga harina, mantika, asukal. Maliliit lang ang aming bakery," said Chavez at Balitaan sa Maynila webinar Sunday.

(What you earn today, you will use to buy ingredients tomorrow, there's no big stockroom for flour, oil, sugar. Our bakeries are small.)

He added that when prices of flour, oil and sugar increase, small bakeries need to raise the next day because they buy supplies the following week, they will be at a loss.

Wheat prices have risen dramatically this year as Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatened to lead to supply shortages.

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According to the Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino, community bakeries charge P2 to P2.50 for pandesal which makes it difficult to sustain their operations or even maintain the quality of their product.

They said that because of rising prices 20 to 25 percent of their community bakeries have already shut down. Some even needed to let go of their bakers.

"Patuloy itong umaangat sa 50 porsyento dahil tukod na at suko na po ang ibang nagtitinapay...pero patuloy pa rin ng pagpirme ng presyo ng tinapay," the Director of the Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino Princess Lunar said.

(This continues to increase to 50 percent because a lot of bakers are giving up...but the prices of bread stay the same.)

Their prices are way too low compared to bigger pandesal manufacturers who sell pandesal in commercial areas, Chavez said.

"Hindi namin na mapabili ng 3-4 na piso ang aming mga mamimili ng pandesal. 'Yun ang aming tanong sa aming sarili...at sa aming pamahalaan," Chavez added.

(We cannot make our customers buy pandesal for 3 to 4 pesos. That's the question we ask ourselves...and the government.)

"Kahit man lang otso pesos hanggang sampung piso, pero sa ngayon dahil pare-pareho tayong na aapektuhan, kwatro pesos lang ho ang hinihingi namin na community bakery para makabalanse lang ho kami,” Lunar said.

(We want at least P8 to P10, but since everyone's affected, we ask for even P4 for community bakers so we can break even.)

The groups also appealed to the government for assistance.

"Hiniling ko sa Department of Trade...tulungan po ninyo kaming magpaliwanag, na ang mga maliliit na bakery kinakailangan magtaas ng pandesal at ako ay patuloy na kaming nananawagan sa mga kapatid ko sa industriya...at mamimili...unawain po ninyo ang presyuhan nito. 'Di kami abusado," Chavez said.

(We are asking the Department of Trade...help us explain, that small bakeries need to increase the price of pandesal, and I continue to ask the bread industry and our consumers to please understand the need to increase prices. We are not being abusive.)

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