FIVE food and four non-food items have been added to the list of goods that will have limited purchase per transaction to avoid hoarding and panic buying, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported.
Retailers will now limit the selling of disinfectant wipes or towelettes (such as wet wipes or baby wipes) to four containers or packs; locally-produced detergent soap to two bundles if sold in sachet or two boxes for powder, two long bars (bareta) or equivalent thereof for bar; toothpaste to four tubes; and mouthwash to four bottles.
Likewise, consumers can only buy canned pork up to 10 cans; canned beef to 10 cans; cooking oil to four bottles or packs; locally produced condiments (such as soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce) to two bottles or packs of each type of condiment; and dried fish to six packs.
Memorandum Circular 20-10 is a supplemental directive to the previously released memorandum on Anti-Hoarding and Anti-Panic Buying, which aims to prevent unreasonable price increases in basic goods, as well as medical supplies such as face masks, alcohol, sanitizers, and disinfectants.
The directive also limits each consumer to only purchase goods with quantities that would be sufficient to meet their needs for seven days.
It also allows more people to buy products to keep them safe from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and provides a benefit to the whole community instead of only a few who can afford to stock up.
Violators, the DTI said, can be penalized with a fine of P5,000 to P2 million, and five to 15 years of imprisonment according to the Price Act.