The Department of Agriculture must keep a close eye on the prices of fish and vegetables to prevent consumers from falling prey to individuals who may exploit these commodities during the Holy Week.

Agri Partylist Rep. Wilbert Lee issued the call on Monday amid DA's recent announcement that the retail prices of Holy Week alternative foods such as fish and vegetables may increase starting today to around 10 to 20 percent, notwithstanding the agency's earlier assurance of adequate supply of fish.

Lee pressed the DA to work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry to implement stricter surveillance on the cost of essential commodities, especially this Holy Week when fish and vegetables are in demand.

Prices of fish and vegetables usually climb as most Catholic Filipinos abstain from eating meat during the Holy Week.

"The DA and DTI should be on the lookout for those who would take advantage, especially this Holy Week, on the price of their goods until it reaches 'unjust prices,'" Lee advised.

While the DA has regularly published the prevailing retail prices of prime commodities, including meat, fish, and vegetables, in its bulletin, Lee stressed that it is still best to provide the SRP so that consumers may determine if the goods are already overpriced.

DA's latest price bulletin showed that milkfish or bangus in wet markets in Metro Manila range from P150 and P220 per kilo, while tilapia ranging between P120 to P160 per kilo.

Local round scad, on the other hand, ranges from P180 to P300 per kilo while imported round scad is at P180 to P200 per kilo.

Indian mackerel, meanwhile, costs between P280 to P350 per kilo.

Last week, the DA reported that the retail prices of bangus, galunggong and alumahan had already incurred a slight jump.

Lee said the DA must mimic its price monitoring on a provincial or regional level to prevent products from being sold at an unreasonable price.

Currently, only the essential goods in the National Capital Region are being monitored, according to Lee.