THE City Council during last Monday’s regular session has approved a resolution authored by Committee on Market, Trade and Commerce chairperson Councilor Leandro Yangot Jr. which urges the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Baguio and other Local Government Agencies (LGAs) to intensify its efforts in monitoring price increases and other alterations on quantity and quality of commodities, particularly “pasalubong” products in the City of Baguio.

In the said resolution, Yangot stated that it has been observed last year that prices of commodities, if not the quality thereof had irregular changes.

He further said that local traders and micro-business enterprises are advised not to take advantage of the gigantic influx of tourists visiting the city in line with the long holidays breaks to unreasonably alter the quantity of price of locally produced goods such as peanut brittles, ube and strawberry products, highland vegetables as well as the various arts and crafts supplies which are being sold in various barangays.

The alderman specified that there is a need once again for the City Government to involve all stakeholders so as not to take advantage of the long holiday break this Christmas season and thus the need to intensify efforts in closely monitoring the said concern.

With this, the alderman quantified that the City of Baguio, being a gateway to the Cordilleras, has long been revered by tourists as their top destination, especially now that the city has recently joined the exclusive group of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Creative Cities Network, and thus it is imperative for all stakeholders not to downgrade the name of the city by taking advantage of its being the country’s premier city for tourists.