Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said there was nothing wrong with the forthcoming importation of 17,000 metric tons (MT) of galunggong, which will be sold directly to local markets — the first time it will happen since imported galunggong is normally meant for processing and canning purposes only. The government recently allowed the importation of fresh, chilled, and frozen galunggong (round scad) to augment the local supply in the fresh markets as well as stabilize the prices. And for the purpose of conserving the country’s fish supply, Piñol told reporters on Thursday that importation will now be a common practice at the fisheries sector.

Cahiles-Magkilat, B., & Miraflor, M. B. (2018, August 24). Crackdown on rising prices. Manila Bulletin, pp. 1. 11