File photo MANILA - Manufacturers and retailers of key commodities are calling for the institution of creative new measures to ease price pressures as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects last month's inflation to likely hover around the 8.5 to 9.3 percent range. In an interview Wednesday, Steven Cua, president of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association, said local food producers need support to lessen the country's dependence on imported produce. He said an over-reliance on food that is shipped in from abroad inevitably translates to higher retail prices. "We really have to develop our own food production capabilities to protect the public against inflation," he said. Cua, whose group is composed mostly of medium-sized supermarkets nationwide, agreed that the BSP's forecast accurately reflects actual price changes at the store front in February. While volumes being sold by supermarkets remain largely unchanged despite price increases, he said consu