MANILA, Philippines – Starting Sept.16, a pan de sal will cost more by up to 25 centavos each while a loaf of bread will cost more by up to P1.50.

The Philippine Baking Industry Group (PhilBaking) on Thursday said the Philippine Association of Flour Millers and the Chamber of Flour Millers declined their request to hold off a price hike.

"As of Wednesday, we have been paying P970 --or P40 more -- for each 25-kilogram bag of flour," said PhilBaking president Simplicio Umali Jr.

Umali, who is also president of Gardenia Bakeries Philippines, said a 10-piece pack of pan de sal, for example, would cost more by P1.00 or 10 centavos more per piece.

Philippine Federation of Bakers Association vice president Lucito B. Chavez said price hikes were "inevitable" but his group has yet to decide.

"We might add 25 centavos per pan de sal but we'd make it bigger or we might keep the current price but make it smaller," Chavez said.

Last April, bakers increased the price of pan de sal by 50 centavos a piece to P3.50 for the regular size and P2.50 for small.