MAJOR retailers, mostly supermarkets, in Negros Occidental have assured that they are not hoarding or overpricing alcohol and basic goods as the public went “panic buying” amid the prevailing fear over coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Representatives of various retail establishments like SM Supermarket, Save More, Lopue’s, Puregold and KJ Fairmart as well as Grace Pharmacy attended the emergency meeting called by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) - Negros Occidental at its office in Bacolod City, Monday, March 16.
These establishments, as well as all of their branches in Bacolod City and other localities in the province, have no more stocks of both 40 and 70 percent solution alcohol as of Monday.
Their personnel said the scarcity in the supply of alcohol among their stores is not caused by hoarding or market manipulation of the retailers.
Rather, it is because of the influx of consumers amid the lower volume of stocks coming from their suppliers from National Capital Region and Cebu, they said.
There is currently a significant drop in the volume of stocks from suppliers and slowdown in the delivery of the products from the sources, the retailers’ representatives said, adding that “whenever there’s new supply, it immediately went out of stocks.”
If the low volume of incoming alcohol supply continues, retailers will limit the purchase to one bottle per buyer only from the previous two to three bottles.
The buying public may expect continuous regulation on the selling of alcohol depending mainly on the available supply in the market, they said.
In terms of price, DTI-Negros Occidental reminded the retailers to comply with the guidelines set by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) particularly for essential emergency medicines and supplies.
For alcohol, the price should be within P17.25 to P25.50 for 60 ml; P36.75 to P41.75 for 250 ml; and P61 to P74.25 for 500 ml.
The local retailers assured the DTI that they even imposed a “lower” cost for alcohol products. For Puregold, it is cheaper by centavos, its representative said.
DTI-Negros Occidental Consumer Protection Unit Head Romel Amihan, who spoke at the meeting, said most of the complaints they received about overpricing of alcohol are those sold online.
Citing an advisory from the agency’s central office, Amihan said that for online transactions, the DTI encourages consumers to patronize online sellers with DTI or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration and mayor’s permit.
“Despite the assurance of the retailers that there’s no hoarding and overpricing of alcohol, we will continue to conduct regular monitoring,” he said, adding that supply and prices of medical supplies will be monitored by the DTI every other day.
Aside from alcohol, local retailers said there’s also no available supply of face masks, both the N95 and ordinary masks, and disinfectants and liquid germicidal soap.
During the emergency meeting, the retailers were briefed on the Automatic Price Control (APC) for basic goods which took effect a day after President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency.
Prices of basic necessities shall be frozen at their prevailing prices from 60 days unless lifted by the President as provided under Section 6 of Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act.
For DTI's monitoring, the basic goods covered by the price freeze include canned fish and other marine products, processed milk, coffee, laundry soap, detergent, candles, bread, salt, potable water in bottles and containers, as well as locally-manufactured instant noodles.
Any seller who commits any act of illegal price manipulation or violation of the Price Act shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of up to ten years and a fine of up to P2 million.
“We urged the retailers that during this time, beyond profit they should conscientiously implement their corporate social responsibility by giving the consumers enough supply of goods at an affordable price,” the DTI-Negros Occidental office also said.
In terms of supply, most of the retailers still have enough stocks of basic goods except for Lopue’s stores.
Its head for Grocery Department Serio Magsipoc said supplies of sardines and noodles in their stores are currently in “critical” level.
Magsipoc said there’s currently a delay in the delivery of the supply of the products from their supplier in Iloilo and Cebu.
“The public also went panic buying of basic goods since the past few days thus, supply depleted,” he added.
In terms of price, retailers said they are also complying with the prevailing price freeze. No regulation on the volume, on the other hand, is implemented.