With the African Swine Fever (ASF) decimating hog populations in backyard farms, the price of pork at the Virac public market rose by 26 percent to P380 per kilo in just a week as meat dealers scrambled for the limited supply of live pigs.
Just a month ago, the Department of Agriculture regional office’s Bantay Presyo, which monitors the prevailing prices of prime agri-fishery commodities in the markets of Bicol cities and capital towns, indicated that the price of pork liempo at the Virac public market was at P300 per kilo.
Local pork cuts were cheap compared to the price monitored in Naga City at P390 per kilo on Feb. 20, 2025, while the same was sold at P380 in Legazpi City, Tabaco City, Pili, Iriga City, Masbate City and Sorsogon City and at P370 in Daet and P360 in Ligao City.
Meat dealers at the capital town told the Tribune that, compared to the live weight price of P160 to P180 in February, whole pigs are now being sold at a high P230-240 per kilo.
While the difference of P140 per kilo seems considerable, they argued that they lose about 20 kilos out of every pig slaughtered, leaving them with just a profit margin of P120 per kilo.
The live weight price is also slightly inflated as some meat dealers are forced to buy through middlemen who jack up the price given by the hog farmer.
It is no longer possible to depend on pigs bought from the mainland as hog raisers there prefer to bring their animals to Metro Manila where the live weight price range from P230 to P265 per kilo.
The high price of pork at the Virac market also resulted in carabao meat slightly cheaper at P350 per kilo, the Tribune found.
Whole chicken has also risen in price since last month while “bangus” and tilapia are likewise sold at P220 and P180 per kilo, respectively.
Among the most affected by the sharp increase in pork price are carinderias and restaurants, whose owners said they would have to cut back on the size of their servings or raise prices.
This unfortunate development comes as the Sangguniang Bayan of Virac is considering an ordinance that could add about P5 per kilo to the price of meat slaughtered at the newly inaugurated Class “AA” slaughterhouse in Bigaa.
Sponsored by Councilor Joseph Mendoza and Councilor Virgilio Candelaria, the proposed measure will create the Municipal Meat Inspection Service (MMIS), establish the Municipal Slaughterhouse and prescribe the rules and regulations governing its operation pursuant to Republic Act 7394 (Consumer Act), RA 9296 (Meat Inspection Code), RA 10611 (Food Safety Act), and the Local Government Code of 1991.
Under the ordinance, the LGU will create the MMIS, which shall have sections to regulate and license meat handlers, dealers, vendors, processors, truckers or distributors, meat establishment owners or operators; conduct animal welfare inspections, ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, enforcement and re-inspection of markets, and conduct confiscatory and preventive operations against the proliferation of hot meat; ensure meat safety and quality assurance; and on optional basis, simple monitoring of pathogens within Virac.
The measure will also provide for the hiring of a slaughterhouse supervisor, four meat inspectors, 12 butchers for hogs and large ruminants, four utility workers and light equipment operators, four facility guards and a delivery van driver.
All food animals accepted for slaughter at the facility shall be required to possess a veterinary health certificate, certificate of ownership or transfer (for large animal) from the Punong Barangay, and/or shipping permit for animals transported from other provinces.
Among the fees and charges to be collected by the slaughterhouse to sustain its operation are: Accreditation Fee, Lairage Fee, Permit to Slaughter Fee, Certificate of Ownership Fee, Transfer of Ownership Certificate Fee, Holding Pen Fee, Weighing Scale Fee, Slaughter Fee, Post-Mortem Inspection Fee, Delivery Fee, Meat Entrance Fee, Butcher’s Fee, Pregnancy Diagnosis Fee and Ante-Mortem Inspection Fee.
While the existing revenue ordinance provides for fees on a per-head basis, the new ordinance will impose a Permit to Slaughter Fee based on three weight categories: 50 kilograms and below, 50 to 149 kilograms, and 150 kilograms and above.
Last year, the old abattoir of the Virac LGU slaughtered a total of 11,675 hogs, 856 carabaos and 247 cows.
At the existing fee of P305 per hog and P432.50 per large cattle, this brought a total of P4,037,922.50 in revenues to the municipality.
Under the agreement with the DA-NMIS and the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project (PDRP) governing the construction of the P45 million AA slaughterhouse, the LGU will have to have the facility accredited by NMIS prior to operation, enforce the ordinance requiring slaughter of all food animals at the facility and collect fees for the service, a certain percent of which would be allocated to a trust fund for abattoir development.
PRDP personnel will monitor the implementation of LGU’s submitted Sustainability Plan on a yearly basis, DA officials said.
If the plan is not followed, the PRDP grant will be converted into a loan which the municipality would have to pay.