THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Occidental continuous to closely monitor the supply and price of face masks and hand sanitizers amid fear brought by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), its official said.
Romel Amihan, Consumer Protection Unit head of DTI-Negros Occidental, Friday, January 31, said their monitoring includes pharmacies and even hardware stores that sell masks, as well as other establishments selling alcohol and alcogel being used as sanitizers.
Amihan said the DTI’s monitoring actually started since the eruption of Taal Volcano in Luzon, and that the supply of face masks started to deplete earlier this month even before the nCoV scare.
“Since then, most pharmacies in the city and other localities in the province were not able to replenish their supply of face mask from their respective suppliers in Manila,” he said, adding that the scare created by the Wuhan virus has just become a compounding element.
Even though many residents in the city are seen wearing masks yesterday, January 31, a day after the Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed the first positive case of nCoV in the country, the DTI-Negros Occidental said there was no panic buying of face masks.
The agency pointed out that the supply is just limited as the demand started to peak during the recent volcanic eruption in Batangas.
Though, it agreed that there was really an increase in the number of people buying masks right after the DOH’s confirmation especially amid reports that the 38-year old female Chinese patient had visited Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental.
Based on its monitoring, DTI-Negros Occidental noted that the supply of face masks among local establishments started to run out since Thursday afternoon.
Amihan said they already warned retailers of face masks and alcohol not to take advantage of the situation by not overpricing the products as they may be charged of profiteering.
It can be considered profiteering if the products are sold at least 10 percent higher than the suggested retail price (SRP).
Under the Price Act, violators may face corresponding fines depending on the asset size of the business.
Amihan said there's currently no profiteering on the price of face masks in the province.
“Ordinary and disposable face masks can be sold at P3 to P5 only,” he said, there’s currently no supply of N95 masks in the province.
As some pharmacies here expect new stocks of face masks in the coming days, the DTI will also continue its monitoring on the supply and price of the product.
Based on the memorandum it received from DTI Central Office, hand sanitizers especially alcohol should also be within the SRPs.
Amihan said buyers are urged to report to them erring establishments.
In terms of supply, there are still enough stocks of alcohol and alcogel in the province, he added.