Inflation shrinks ‘poor man’s bread’

Straight into the oven: An employee carrying trays of the popular breakfast roll pandesal to be baked at a bakery in Manila. — AFP

AS the war in Ukraine pushes up wheat prices and a weaker peso raises the cost of imported edible oil, many Philippine bakers are shrinking the size of a popular breakfast roll to cope with higher inflation.

The slightly sweet and pillowy soft “pandesal”, which Filipinos often dunk in coffee or stuff with cheese, used to weigh 35g at Matimyas Bakery, a breadmaker in suburban Manila.