Felix Tiukinhoy, president of the Philippine Association of Meat Processors (Pampi), said in a statement that the industry has committed to same prices of canned meat products, such as corned beef, and frozen meat products, such as hotdogs, for the next three months.

These products tend to be bought by people in lower income families.

Tiukinhoy said that the industry made the commitment during a consultation with Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban.

They added that they will also absorb higher costs for tin plate. Tin plate makers recently announced that they are adjusting the prices of their products, the main packaging material for canned meat products.

However PAMPI's executive director Francisco Buencamino, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that meat processors may be forced to increase prices of their high-end products by at least 25 centavos in the future due to the rising tin plate costs.

Pampi's 32 meat processing companies, which include San Miguel Foods, Purefoods-Hormel, Swift Foods and CDO-Foodsphere, have combined annual revenues of P65 billion.

Commercial poultry raisers are also holding back price increases for fear of losing more sales.

The Philippine Association of Broiler Integrators has urged the government to consider suspending the implementation of the expanded VAT, reported the paper.