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Fresh eggs are selling at a relatively cheap prices.

Prices of fresh food stable at Mambulao public market, galunggong selling at rigged 'bulong-bulongan' price

 

By percy ostonal

Prices of fish, pork, and chicken at the

The price of GG is influenced by
a "bulong group" at the Osmenia fish port. 

Mambulao public market have remained affordable for the locals despite the pandemic triggered by the Covid-19 crisis.

With the number of market-goers dropping because of the imposed quarantine protocol, prices of fresh foods have remained stable since only a few buyers are picking up items.

As of early this month, Galunggong sold at Php160 per kilo; bankulis, Php260; lapit-lapit, Php300; pusit, Php300; pork, Php340.

Dried fish was sold from Php30/kg-Php60. 

Rice was stable at Php37-Php40/kg; eggs, Php5- Php7/piece.

Kakanin merienda stuff such as puto, kutsinta, sapin-sapin, and the like sold for Php10 a pack of two slices.

Bibingka (native rice cake) sold for Php30 a disk.

Fish offloaded at a fish port in Barangay Osmenia such as galunggong still sold high in the local public market.

However, a batch from the same catch brought by viajeros to Mercedes fish port sold cheaper.

The fish haul usually came from the fishing waters of Quezon and was offloaded at the fish port in Osmenia.

Sources told MWBuzz that the “bulong-bulungan” system at the Osmena fish port was the one causing the price of galunggong to go higher than the price of the same catch sold in Mercedes fish port. 

The source said that the “bulong-bulungan” crowd at the Osmenia fishport is under the employ of a "pamalakaya" operator, who dictates at what price must galunggong sell to Mambulao wholesale buyers.

The Mambulao wholesalers have to retail the fish at a high price to Mambulao market vendors to recoup their capital.

 

Rice, the people's staple food, remains affordable at Php37, Php38, and Php40 per kilo at the public market.