Galunggong prices in Metro Manila reached P335.99 per kilo in the last week of October, at least 20 percent higher than last year's P277.11. Officials attribute the surge to lackluster production and minimal imports. This rise worries many families who rely on the 'poor man's fish' for daily meals.
Darryl Sibangan, a leasing officer in Makati, was disappointed to see galunggong at their canteen priced at P40 per piece, barely the size of his index finger. 'Seriously? This tiny fish costs that much? It felt absurd,' Sibangan told The STAR. He added, 'Galunggong has always been a go-to for many Filipino households because it’s affordable and nutritious. Seeing its price rise so much makes me worry about how it affects families who rely on it as a daily meal.'
According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the average price of round scad in Metro Manila hit P335.99 per kilo in the last week of October, up from P277.11 the previous year. The annual closed fishing season for galunggong in northern Palawan began on Nov. 1. Production from January to September fell 10 percent to 130,512 metric tons, the lowest nine-month output since 2002, per the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Round scad imports plunged nearly 79 percent to 3,184 metric tons from 15,124 metric tons last year, based on PSA data. 'Last year was a good catch due to El Niño, but this year there is no El Niño, so production was lower,' Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told The STAR. The DA approved importing 55,000 metric tons of small pelagic fishes, higher than last year's 35,000 metric tons. Sales of imported round scad in wet markets started on Nov. 5 this year, later than Oct. 15 last year. In mid-October, imported round scad fetched P244.66 per kilo, rising to P316.25 per kilo as of Monday, almost 30 percent higher than last year's prices.
Oceana attributed the price uptick to overfishing, weather disruptions, fuel costs, and global market fluctuations. 'These factors, together with gaps in infrastructure and policy enforcement, like lack of post-harvest facilities or commercial fishing inside municipal waters, contribute to the increase in retail prices, making galunggong, once considered a ‘poor man’s fish,’ increasingly unaffordable for many Filipino households,' said Von Hernandez, Oceana vice president, to The STAR.