The Department of Trade and Industry inspects supermarkets and groceries in Manila to check the prices and supply of BNPCs and heed the recent DTI memorandum directing the monitoring of availability and retail prices of white and/or washed sugar including the observance of the agreed purchase limit by participating establishments that supported the President’s call for setting the retail price of white and/or washed sugar at Php70.00 and its purchase limit at one (1) kilo per consumer.
Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo and Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Officer-In-Charge Director Atty. Marimel Dancel Porciuncula led the DTI price monitoring teams in visiting four (4) firms.
Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo inspecting the sugar section of a supermarket in Manila.
Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo and Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Officer-In-Charge Director Atty. Marimel D. Porciuncula checking the prices of salt in a supermarket in Manila. Both asserted that there is no shortage in the supply of salt hence no drastic price movement is expected.
Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo and Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Officer-In-Charge Director Atty. Marimel D. Porciuncula inspecting prices of bread. DTI has emphasized that the prices of bread are expected to stabilize as the prices of its raw ingredients such as wheat have been going down in the world market.
Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo and Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Officer-In-Charge Director Atty. Marimel D. Porciuncula monitoring the prices Noche Buena products. While the prices of the products remain stable, Usec. Castelo advised the public to start storing for the coming holidays.
Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo surveying the prices and supply of sugar in a grocery store in Manila.
DTI has noted that:
- all the firms comply with the latest Suggested Retail Prices (SRP) or price guide bulletin
- three (3) implement the Php70.00 retail price of white and/or washed sugar; and
- two (2) implement the purchase limit of white and/or washed sugar while a firm does not strictly implement the purchase limit because it has a stable supply to meet the demand.
Apart from the three participating supermarkets, the team also visited a non-participating grocery store. The owner expressed that it is beyond the ability of small retailers like them to participate in DTI’s program for it will risk them of losses.
As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Usec. Castelo urged supermarkets, hypermarkets, and groceries to comply with the SRP bulletin and respond to the consumers’ call for reasonably-priced sugar. The DTI enjoins consumers to report retailers, distributors, and manufacturers that sell basic necessities above their SRPs, through the Consumer Care Hotline at DTI (1-384) or consumercare@dti.gov.ph.
♦
Date of Release: 12 September 2022
