No price hike on basic goods for 30 days — DTI

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday assured the public that there will be no increase in prices of basic necessities for the next 30 days, even as logistics costs continue to rise, amid efforts to prevent panic buying and protect consumers.

Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque said supermarkets and groceries remain well-stocked, stressing that there is “no need for people to panic” or hoard goods.

“So there’s no need for people to panic, there’s no need for people to hoard kasi meron tayong stock sa supermarket and groceries ng basic necessities and commodities ng mga goods na kontrolado ng DTI yung presyo,” Roque said.

DTI said it continues to monitor the supply and prices of essential goods amid the ongoing economic pressures affecting transport and distribution.

Despite higher logistics expenses, industry players have committed to keeping prices unchanged, at least in the short term.

“They will not do any price increase in spite of the increase of the logistics cost. Yun ang naging commitment nila sa amin that there will be no price increase for the next 30 days for basic necessities,” she said.

To enforce compliance, the DTI has tightened its monitoring and enforcement measures.

“Yes, of course meron tayong sanctions, meron tayong enforcement sa DTI… but now we’re more strict especially ngayon sa crisis situation,” Roque noted.

The Trade Secretary also encouraged the public to stay informed about suggested retail prices by checking price guides displayed in stores or posted on the DTI’s website.

“Kung hindi nyo alam kung ano ang mga produkto, pagpunta nyo sa grocery or supermarket… pwede rin tayo pumunta sa website ng DTI, nandoon din ang presyo para alam natin kung magkano talaga yung presyo na set by the DTI,” she said.

Roque likewise urged the public to report any suspected overpricing, noting that inspections are being conducted daily to ensure compliance.

“Kung may nakita kayong price… ipa-report din kayo. But rest assured daily basis mo kami nagche-check sa groceries and supermarkets nito to make sure that the basic necessities and commodities price have no price increase,” she said.