CONSUMERS in the province, especially parents, should be wiser in buying school supplies for their children, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Occidental said.
Romel Amihan, senior trade and industry development specialist of DTI-Negros Occidental, said consumers should be wise in order not to be duped by unscrupulous merchants.
Amihan said this would enable them to purchase products that are worth the value of the price they paid.
“Also, they could ensure that their purchased goods are safe and not harmful for the school children,” he added.
DTI-Negros Occidental advised consumers to look at the labels and consider other important information about the products.
For pad paper, for instance, they should check on the number of pages, type of paper, brand name or trademark, name and address of manufacturer, converter or importer, and country of origin.
Crayons should be checked based on its brand name or trademark, number of pieces in a box as well as name and address of manufacturer or distributor.
Also, consumers should look for the words indicating “non-toxic” with a description stating that the items were inspected and passed the “allowed toxicity level” set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the country of origin.
For pencil, it is also important to consider the brand name or trademark, hardness symbol and country of origin.
Aside from name and address of manufacturer, buyers should also look for ballpen’s brand name or trademark and tip classification.
Moreover, Amihan stressed the importance of quality over quantity in buying school supplies.
“Quality allows consumers to meet their predetermined desire,” he said, adding that
good quality tantamount to customer satisfaction.
In terms of prices, the DTI earlier issued the new suggested retail prices (SRPs) for school items.
Based on the “Gabay sa Pamimili ng School Supplies” issued by DTI Central Office on May 25 this year, the current SRPs are higher compared to that of last year.*