No price increase on El Niño onset — DTI

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said prices of basic necessities and prime commodities are expected to remain stable at the onset of the El Niño phenomenon, which could intensify in the coming months, particularly during the summer of 2027.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is monitoring around 240 stock-keeping units (SKUs) of basic necessities and prime commodities to ensure sufficient supply and stable prices, Roque said in an ambush interview on Thursday during the opening of the United Parcel Service (UPS) Clark International Air Hub in Clark, Pampanga.

“The Department of Trade and Industry is monitoring the basic necessities and prime commodities, which are around 240 stock-keeping units. The list can be seen on the DTI website, and can be found inside groceries and supermarkets,” she said.

Under the Price Act, or Republic Act No. 7581, these goods include essential food items, cooking supplies, household necessities, bottled drinking water, and essential medicines.

No bottled water shortage

Roque assured the public that bottled water supplies remain sufficient, urging consumers not to panic-buy or hoard.

She said the DTI’s inspection of a manufacturing plant in Metro Manila found that it could produce 65,000 bottles per hour. She added that more than 200 manufacturing plants support the country’s bottled water supply.

Roque also said the DTI had received no requests from manufacturers to increase prices, adding that prices of basic necessities and prime commodities remained stable.

She declined to speculate on possible price increases for Noche Buena products, saying the agency was currently focused on ensuring adequate supplies of essential goods.

Meanwhile, Roque said the DTI was not monitoring the prices of buckets and other water containers because these are not classified as basic necessities and prime commodities.

Earlier, Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the DTI and the Department of the Interior and Local Government had been tasked with monitoring the sale of buckets and other water containers