Following Proclamation No.1051 declaring a state of calamity in the entire Luzon Island Group, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reminds all business establishments to comply with the price freeze on basic necessities.
The onslaught of Typhoon Quinta, Super Typhoon (ST) Rolly, and Typhoon Ulysses caused massive destruction and damage to infrastructure and agricultural crops, particularly in Southern and Central Luzon.
Under Section 6 of Republic Act of 7581 or Price Act as amended by RA 10623, prices of basic necessities (BNs) shall be placed under automatic price control at their prevailing prices for sixty (60) days or until lifted sooner by the President, whenever there is a declaration of a state of calamity (SOC) or emergency. Under Section 3, No. 6 of the same law, the prevailing price is defined as the average price at which any basic necessity has been sold in a given time within a month from the occurrence of any calamity or emergency.
The DTI, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) are mandated by the Price Act to monitor the prices of all basic necessities under their respective jurisdiction.
For the DTI, its monitoring and enforcement activities include basic goods such as canned fish and other marine products, locally manufactured instant noodles, bottled water, bread, processed milk, coffee, candles, laundry soap, detergent, and salt.
Meanwhile, goods such as rice, corn, cooking oil, fresh, dried, and other marine products, fresh eggs, fresh pork, beef and poultry meat, fresh milk, fresh vegetables, root crops, sugar, and fresh fruits fall under the purview of the DA, and the listed essential drugs, and medical supplies/essentials under the DOH.
The household LPG and kerosene are monitored by the DOE, but their prices are frozen for only fifteen (15) days.
“The DTI is closely coordinating with the manufacturers of necessities and prime commodities to ensure the availability and the continuous replenishment of these goods especially in the heavily affected areas,” says DTI Consumer Protection Group Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo.
To check for the complete list of price freeze bulletins issued by the DTI Provincial offices, the concerned establishments and consumers are advised to visit the e-Presyo website through https://www.dti.gov.ph/konsyumer/e-presyo/.
The DTI warns business establishments that those found to have violated the price freeze will face the penalty of imprisonment for a period of not less than one year nor more than ten years, or a fine ranging from Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000) to One Million Pesos (P1,000,000), or both, at the discretion of the court.
Consumers are enjoined to report retailers, distributors, and manufacturers of basic necessities that are not observing the automatic price control or price freeze via One-DTI (1-384) Hotline or email, ConsumerCare@dti.gov.ph. ♦
Date of Release: 23 November 2020