The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is currently conducting a probe on why pork prices have increased in the past months.

“There is an ongoing investigation and we (PCC) are part of the task force. We continue to coordinate with other government agencies to find out what caused the increase in pork prices,” PCC Commissioner Johannes Bernabe said during the Laging Handa Public Briefing held on Wednesday.

But he said their investigation is hampered by community restrictions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The official said he has recommended policy measures to look into the problem such as increasing the minimum access volume of pork imports, and reviewing the process of issuance of import permits to ensure that importation is not controlled by big market players.

He said all these are part of the holistic approach in addressing the increase of pork prices.

PCC is an independent body that aims to promote and maintain market competition by regulating anti-competition behavior, ensuring fair and healthy market competition and fostering economic efficiency and innovation.