ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo expressed his concern over the skyrocketing cost of tomatoes in a Quezon City supermarket, where they have reached a staggering P12.50 each.
Tulfo raised this issue during the House Committee on Agriculture and Food’s hearing on agricultural smuggling on Tuesday, where he delivered a vital message to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
“Bantayan niyo na yung kamatis because the tomatoes right now, ang isang piraso ay P12.50 sa Nepa Q mart,” Tulfo said.
“Parang awa niyo na, mas mahal pa sa sibuyas itong kamatis,” he added.
The BPI operates as an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
During the same hearing, Tulfo criticized the BPI for allegedly failing in its duty to monitor the prices of agricultural products in the market.
The House Deputy Majority Leader recalled that just on August 14, he accompanied House Speaker Martin Romualdez on a surprise inspection of basic goods’ prices, including onions and rice, at Nepa Q mart.
“Mayroon pong nagkulang dito at hindi ginawa ang trabaho nila for reasons sila lang po makakasagot,” Tulfo remarked.
