Tacloban: Food prices in Eastern Visayas have stabilized despite the 3-ton weight limit on the San Juanico Bridge, thanks to the operation of a new roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) route between this city and Amandayehan in Basey, Samar. Jenny Lyn Almeria, Department of Agriculture (DA) assistant regional director for research and regulations, stated that there was a price hike for farm products a few days after the imposition of the load limit on May 15, but trading has stabilized after the opening of the new route that allows trucks to deliver cargoes in various markets.
According to Philippines News Agency, Almeria noted that if there are changes in the prices of some upland vegetables from Luzon, it is due to supply issues and not because of bridge restrictions. Vegetables sourced from Luzon, such as bell pepper, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, pechay Baguio (Napa cabbage), white potato, chayote, cauliflower, celery, and lettuce, have seen price adjustments. The prevailing price of broccoli per kilogram dropped to PHP300 as of June 26 from PHP380 on June 6, a day before the opening of Amadayehan Port, as shown in DA price watch data.
Other vegetables also recorded price decreases per kilogram during this period, such as cabbage (from PHP130 to PHP100), lettuce (from PHP350 to PHP300), and pechay Baguio (from PHP120 to PHP100). There has been no significant price movement for rice, fish, livestock, chicken, eggs, and spices.
Almeria explained that the transfer of perishable products from a big truck to a smaller vehicle is costly and requires careful handling, a practice that traders adopted during the last two weeks of May until early June. Amandayehan Port in Basey town opened for RoRo operations on June 7, providing relief to cargo trucks bound for Tacloban City and other parts of Leyte, which are prohibited from crossing the San Juanico Bridge while it is being rehabilitated.
The Tacloban-Amandayehan route introduces a new shipping lane that complements existing ones, significantly reducing travel time to 15 to 20 minutes compared to the 13-hour Calbayog-Ormoc route.
