According to some vendors at Carbon Public Market in Cebu City, prices of binignit’s ingredients may even increase further later this week when supplies start to deplete.
Maria Jessie Caparida, a vendor for 31 years, said that the price increase could occur on April 6 (Maundy Thursday) and April 7 (Good Friday). Holy Week this year began on Sunday, April 2 and it will end on Saturday, April 8.
She revealed that the price of gabi increased from P80 to P100 per kilo, while the price of kamote rose from P40 to P60 per kilo last week. Gabi and kamote crops are sourced from farmers in Mantalongon, a mountain barangay in Dalaguete town, southern Cebu.
Caparida added that the price increase happens when there is no more supply coming in, especially on Thursday, and they only rely on what is left of their stock.
As for the price of cardava, it increased from P30 to P50 per kilo. Caparida gets her supply of the banana from Mindanao, and she still expects to sell at least 100 kilos this week despite the new price.
Caparida sourced her supply of cardava from the Cebu towns of Argao, Tuburan, and Pinamungajan. The supply became inadequate after Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) struck Cebu on Dec. 16, 2021.
Jacqueline Dahoya, a vendor for 12 years, learned that bananas in upland areas could not grow right after the typhoon, which caused soil erosion.
She sells landang, another essential ingredient for binignit, which was priced at P280 per kilo as of Saturday, April 1. A week before, it was priced at P200 per kilo.
The price of sago stayed the same at P5 per pack or P140 per kilo. Brown and muscovado sugars were priced around P80 to P120 per kilo, while the price of coconut was at P35 to P40 per piece, depending on size.