Bakers to offer P1.50 Pinoy pan de sal

MANILA, Philippines - Local bakers announced yesterday that they agreed to sell pan de sal at only P1.50 per piece in support of the call for cheaper bread and as tribute to the newly elected president.

Lucito Chavez, vice president of the Philippine Federation of Bakers Association (PFBA), said that big bakers as well as community bakers will be selling pan de sal at P1.50 per piece, instead of its current selling price of P2.50 to P3.

The regular pan de sal weighs 36 to 37 grams. The cheaper pan de sal or Pinoy Bread is slightly lighter at 25 grams.

“This is our way of welcoming the new administration by giving the public access to cheaper bread. In our little way we want to help the country,” Chavez said.

He added that the program was implemented by the PFBA in collaboration with the Philippine Baking Association (Philbaking) and the Department of Trade and Industry. Some members of these associations include Walter Bread, Gardenia and Julie’s Bakeshop.

Chavez said the price cut for Pinoy Bread will be gradual but some community bakers started selling at the reduced price last month.

“This is a permanent program. We want to continue with this for as long as the prices of raw materials remain low,” Chavez said, adding that the only time they will discontinue selling pan de sal at P1.50 is if prices of ingredients like flour, sugar and milk become very high.

Chavez disclosed that the Pinoy Bread concept is actually the continuation of the Pan de sal ng Bayan project of the DTI launched in October last year at Julie’s Bakeshop. Under the Pan de sal ng Bayan program, bakers sold the 20-gram pan de sal for P1.50. However, because the prices of inputs went up, the program was discontinued.

Earlier, Chavez said bakers will be selling generic loaf bread with very basic ingredients sometime this month or next month. The bread will still be 600 grams and will be priced between P37 to P38. Big bakers such as Gardenia and Walter Bread are expected to participate in the generic bread program. The small bakers, on the other hand, will be able to reduce their price in August.