ILOILO City – Retail prices of fish and seafood in Iloilo City fluctuated during the last full week of March, with basic fish remaining relatively steady while premium marine products continued to sell at elevated rates, based on the latest monitoring of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Western Visayas.
Data gathered from March 23 to 27 at the Iloilo Central Market showed that bangus (milkfish) was priced at around P220 per kilogram for smaller sizes, increasing to as much as P280 for larger ones. For tilapia, only large-sized fish were recorded at about P200 per kilo, as other size categories were not available during the survey.
Shrimp (pasayan) remained one of the most expensive items in the market, with medium sizes selling between P360 and P380 per kilo, while larger shrimp reached up to P550. Similarly, large blue crabs (kasag) were sold at around P500 per kilo, indicating continued strong demand.
Other fish varieties reflected a wide price range. Lapu-lapu (grouper) topped the list at P500 to P600 per kilo, while pompano was sold from P450 to P500. Mid-range options included bisugo at P250 to P400 and lison at P280 to P400 per kilo. More affordable fish such as aloy were pegged at P200, while mat-an ranged from P240 to P250.
Cheaper seafood items were also observed in the market, including bagungon priced at P70 to P80 per kilo, as well as tahong (greenshell mussels) and gulaman (seaweed) at P100 per kilo. Clams (tuway) were sold at P120 per kilo. Squid (pusit) ranged between P350 and P400, while alimango (mud crab) remained among the higher-priced items at P480 to P500 per kilo.
BFAR noted that several commodities had no recorded prices during the monitoring period, which may indicate limited availability or absence of supply in the market at the time of inspection.
The agency conducts regular price checks in major trading centers to provide updated information to consumers and help guide policy responses, particularly as market prices remain sensitive to supply conditions and external factors.
Authorities have also pointed to rising fuel costs linked to global developments as one of the contributors to higher transport expenses, which can influence the retail pricing of fish and other food products./PN
