PRICE freeze is now in effect in the whole of Cordillera as President Rodrigo Duterte declared the whole region under the state of calamity.
Duterte, by virtue of Proclamation 593 signed on September 25, declared the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) along with Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon under a state of calamity due to the widespread destruction, substantial damage and deaths caused by Typhoon Ompong.
The Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera Director Myrna Pablo said under Republic Act (RA) 7581, or the Price Act of the Philippines, automatic price control is up in areas that are proclaimed or declared a disaster area or under state of calamity.
The price freeze covers basic necessities and prime commodities listed or being monitored by the DTI, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Under Section 6 of RA 7581, unless otherwise declared by the President, prices of basic necessities in an area under state of calamity shall be frozen at their prevailing price. Section 7 of the same law, gives power to the President to impose a price ceiling on any basic necessity or prime commodity which prevailing price is found to be excessive or unreasonable, as per recommendation of implementing agency or the local price monitoring council.
Violators of the price freeze, once proven guilty, will be meted with monetary fine and imprisonment term, upon the discretion of the court.
Pablo said that in response to the directive of the President during his recent visit in Benguet to condole with the families of Ompong victims, the Economic Development Sectoral Committee of the Regional Development Council, which she chairs, had convened to look into how the regional line agencies can immediately provide assistance to Typhoon Ompong-affected families in the locality.
“We, at the RDC EconDevSeCom, formed committees to look into job generation, marketing of products scholarships and livelihood trainings. Given the immediate need for response, each assigned committees will present their respective action plan in a follow up meeting set this October 11,” Pablo said.
The conduct of jobs fair and Diskwento Caravan in the municipality of Itogon is tentatively set on October 24, she added. (PIA)