Bakers’ groups launch P36 Pinoy Tasty
MANILA – More than 2,000 bakers have committed to maintain the price of “Pinoy Tasty” breads at P36 per loaf for at least one month, even if prices of ingredients go up.
The uniformed packaging and recipe of the 450-gram loaf bread was launched Tuesday by three bakery associations – Philippine Baking Industry Group (PhilBaking), Federation of Philippine Bakers Association and the Filipino-Chinese Bakers.
Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo and Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya attended the occasion.
PhilBaking president Walter Co said that more than 2,000 bakers are participating in the program, which they said, was part of their corporate social responsibility program.
Two bakers are assigned per supermarket to ensure there is ample supply of the affordable Pinoy Tasty.
Co said they could only commit to sell the P36-Pinoy Tasty at 20 percent cheaper than the equivalent branded loaf in the market, which is sold for P42 to P46 per loaf.
“We (are) committed to keep the price at P36 per loaf for at least one month, because we cannot tell the price of major ingredients in the long term like flour and sugar,” he said.
But Co said that if ever they have to adjust the price of Pinoy Tasty, it should always maintain a 20 percent difference between the branded loaf bread.
Co said that bakers were partly subsidizing Pinoy Tasty because they no longer added in the costing the distribution and marketing cost.
Luisito Chavez, vice-president of the Federation of Philippine Bakers Association, has urged other community bakers to participate in the program as part of their corporate social responsibility.
“Pinoy Tasty is a nationwide campaign, but we are initially making it available in Metro Manila,” Chavez said.
He also said that Pinoy Tasty is not going to displace the branded loaf bread, which has its own niche market.
Pinoy Tasty, which is a socialized pricing bread, has only the basic ingredients but is fortified with vitamins and iron.
Chavez said bakers are also using the more affordable wash sugar at P2,580 per sack compared to the refined sugar of P2,750 per sack.
“This is a sustainable program on our part because this is not just an initiative among three bakers groups but is also supported by the Department of Trade and Industry and Bureau of Food and Drug,” Chavez said.
Chavez said that bakers will have a very slim margin in the production of Pinoy Tasty saying this is more of a corporate social responsibility among them.*PNA
