© Flor Taguinod Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, said at a press forum on Saturday, November 23, 2019, that tariff on imported rice should be at 100% for the domestically produced staple to be competitive. Flor Taguinod

Senator Cynthia Villar on Tuesday urged the public to but other types of fish with galunggong no longer living up to its reputation of being a poor man's staple.

Villar also suggested that Filipinos eat more vegetables after the price per kilo of galunggong doubled from P150 to P300 in recent days.

She said there was no need to import galunggong as Filipinos should eat what was available.

“Ako naman, eh kung mahal ang galunggong. Eh, 'di 'wag kumain ng galunggong, di ba? There are other alternatives na pwedeng gawin. Bakit ba gustong-gusto niyo ‘yung galunggong kung mahal ang galunggong,” the senator told reporters.

“Eh lalong nae-encourage ‘yung price increase. Bakit di kayo kumain ng gulay? mas healthy ‘yon. In fact, di ba bumaba ang ating rating, ating mga students. One of the theory doon ay malnutrition,” she added.

Villar, who owns a farm school, also encouraged the public to plant their own food.

“Magtanim ka ng gulay sa likod ng iyong bahay, magbackyard farming, or urban gardening,” Villar said.

Facebook Messenger users

Get top MSN news straight to your inbox!

Click here to subscribe



She urged the Department of Trade and Industry to strictly monitor the prices.

“Lahat ng trader kung may opportunity ii-increase ang price niya kahit walang basis. Kaya dapat mahigpit ang ating regulatory body that they keep within the suggested retail price. Yes, the DTI,” Villar said.

The senator said some fish traders had asked for her help so they could secure permits to import galunggong.

“‘Yang galunggong na ‘yan masyadong kontrobersyal. Gustong gusto nila magimport, may naglalakad pa sa akin na bigyan daw sila ng import permit sa galunggong," Villar said.

"Bakit ba patay na patay tayo, mahal na ang galunggong, huwag kumain ng galunggong,” she added.

Villar said she rejected the traders because she was against importing fish.

“Noong Friday. Akala nila malakas ako, hindi naman ako naglalakad ng ganon. Against nga tayo doon. Gusto natin self sufficient tayo and we should try to produce more para wala nang problema,” Villar said.

“So dapat tayo sa Pilipinas matuto tayo to produce on our own kasi wala na tayong aasahang import so dapat maging self sufficient tayo. We don’t have to rely on others for food,” she added. —NB, GMA News

This article Galunggong pricey? Villar says, ‘Eh ‘di ‘wag kumain ng galunggong’ was originally published in GMA News Online.