THE HOUSE of Representatives is set to probe the widening gap between the cost of farmgate products and their retail prices once Congress resumes, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said on Wednesday.

Agriculture sector representatives said they maintained the farmgate prices of rice, poultry, and pork for the past three months, indicating that there should be no changes in the prices of these products in the market.

“The discrepancy between farmgate and retail prices of basic goods is alarming and warrants immediate attention,” Mr. Romualdez said in a statement.

Food inflation rose to 5.7% in March, its fastest increase in four months. Costs of rice, corn, flour, and bread products accelerated to 19.8% from 18.9% in the previous month. Prices of slaughtered meat also quickened to 1.9% from 0.9% in February.

Mr. Romualdez directed Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark M. Enverga, who chairs the House Agriculture and Food Committee, to launch an inquiry into the “disconnect between farmgate and retail prices of basic goods.”

The House is also looking to review a set of retail laws to protect farmers and consumers from persons seeking to profit by causing inefficiencies in the supply chain.

“It is imperative that we conduct a comprehensive review of our laws to ensure that they effectively safeguard the interests of our farmers and consumers,” he said.

The review will aim to identify loopholes that allow unfair pricing practices along the supply chain, Mr. Romualdez said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

AN ORDER raising the price ceiling of government housing projects has defeated the purpose of socialized housing for low-income families, a member of Congress said on Wednesday.

The price ceilings for socialized housing projects increased by 47% in 2022, according to an issuance order by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

“(This order) won’t make housing affordable for low-income families,” Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas said during a hearing on an order increasing housing costs in Filipino. “This will affect Filipinos seeking housing drastically as the cost of goods and services continue to increase.”

The DHSUD increased the cost of housing to P2.5 million from P1.7 million due to increasing costs in raw land and construction materials as well as increased labor productivity, a move seen as discouraging low-income Filipinos from affording socialized housing.

“Why did (DHSUD) enact a national price ceiling increase if Filipinos are paid regionally?” Negros Occidental Rep. Francisco B. Benitez said in the same hearing in Filipino, questioning why the housing directive increasing its costs was issued across the board nationally.

Socialized housing costs depend on the area and vicinity of cities, DHSUD Director Angelito F. Aguila said. “The price ceiling is market-driven. Once the developer goes away from the city, they won’t price it at the maximum,” he said.

DHSUD Undersecretary Avelino D. Tolentino III said they studied the costs of housing within and outside Metro Manila, basing the price of socialized housing on it.

“While the prices might seem high and the construction costs might seem high, the actual amortizations when we peg it vis-a-vis affordability levels and income deciles… we were able to see that it matched,” he said.

In the same hearing, Party-list Rep. France L. Castro asked for an update regarding the development of the Philippine government’s housing backlog — which currently stands at 6.5 million units.

DHSUD Director Frank Lloyd C. Gonzaga said there are around 82,000 housing projects under construction in various stages of completion.

“We’re projecting to finish at least 80,000 housing units, if we’re not being conservative,” he said in Filipino.

Last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. vowed to build one million housing units per year until the end of his term. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) is urged to put a stop to its policy banning visible tattoos for its personnel as it is unconstitutional, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.

“The PNP should discard that policy now before they get into legal trouble for the unconstitutionality of their policy,” Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua said in a statement in Filipino, noting that tattoos are an art form that is protected by the Constitution under the freedom of expression clause.

Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, PNP Chief, issued a memorandum last month banning visible tattoos for patrolmen and those intending to enter the police force.

Police personnel with visible tattoos before the implementation of the memorandum are given three months to have them removed.

But Mr. Chua argued that it could be a health risk to force police officers to remove their visible tattoos due to the risk of infection.

“There’s no legal basis for the PNP’s new directive,” he said in Filipino. “It is not written under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees or in the law that instituted the PNP.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE CONSTRUCTION of nuclear power plants without government support could lead to an uptick in consumer electricity prices, an energy advocate said, noting the high cost of constructing nuclear facilities needed to be recouped by plant operators.

Government intervention is needed to offset the initial costs of establishing a nuclear facility, he said.

“Without government subsidies, the initial high cost of construction could lead to increased electricity prices for consumers,” Nic Satur, Jr., chief advocate officer of Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE), told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

“Plant operators will need to ensure they can recover their investment costs, which could place a financial burden on consumers unless offset by government intervention,” he said.

Weaknesses in the power sector resulted in alerts being issued as the country’s electric grid faces thinning power supply as operation margins for electricity output were insufficient in meeting regulating requirements.

Responding to weaknesses in the electricity sector, Mr. Satur urged the government to consider constructing nuclear facilities to augment the country’s power generation capacity.

“(Nuclear energy is) a stable and reliable energy source that does not depend on external market conditions,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

However, nuclear plant developers would need support from the government to offset the initial costs of constructing nuclear facilities, Mr. Satur said. “Nuclear power plants are generally expensive to construct, but they are comparatively inexpensive to operate over the long term.”

The capital cost for building a small modular nuclear reactor ranges between $2,000 and $6,000 per kilowatt it could produce, he said.

Pangasinan Rep. Marcos Juan Bruno O. Cojuangco said he is considering filing a bill incentivizing the construction of nuclear power plants in the country, a measure seen as providing needed support to attract nuclear develop-ers, once Congress resumes next week.

“The ‘nuclear incentives bill,’ which is currently in an advanced stage of drafting and is expected to be filed shortly after our break, seeks to address these concerns,” Mr. Cojuangco, who also chairs the House Special Committee on Nuclear Energy, told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

Subsidies for nuclear plant developments should be discussed with the Board of Investments to determine the amount of support the government would provide based on its corresponding benefit to the power sector.

Mr. Satur urged the government to consider all variables in constructing nuclear plants. “Nuclear is… the future but we need a more concrete roadmap for the Philippines and we need to balance the capital needed, the risks, and the eventual cost of power,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio