PRICES of basic and prime necessities in Negros Occidental under the monitoring of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are within the suggested retail prices (SRPs) amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the top official of the agency in the province said.
Rachel Nufable, officer-in-charge of DTI-Negros Occidental, said the automatic price control (APC) or price freeze was already lifted on May 16.
Nufable recalled that the price freeze was implemented following the declaration of a state of public health emergency by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 8 due to Covid-19.
"We are now monitoring the prices based on the SRPs," she said, adding that "we are submitting to the local price coordinating council the results of our price monitoring which generally are within SRPs."
The recent 60-day price freeze on all basic goods was also pursuant with Republic Act 7581 or Price Act.
Under the law, the price freeze is implemented when there is a declaration of a state of emergency, calamity, disaster, rebellion and war, suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, and martial law.
For DTI, 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.
Since the APC has been lifted, DTI-Negros Occidental is using the SRPs issued by the agency in September 2019.
Based on the said guidelines, the prices of 130 to 155 grams of canned sardines range from P13.25 to P17.25 depending on brands.
For condensed milk, the price should be P57 to P72; condensada - P26 to P54.50; evaporated milk - P20.50 to P57; evaporada - P21 to P26.25; and powdered milk - P43.59 to P73.30, depending on brands and net weight.
The price of coffee should be P16.95 to P39.40 and P4.10 to P7.85 for a refill and 3-in-1 original, respectively, while detergent or laundry soap is P16.35 to P21.
For bread, loaf costs P21.50 to P36 depending on brands and net weight while pandesal is at P37.
Different brands of 55 grams of chicken and beef flavor instant noodles should be sold at P6.45 to 7.75.
The prevailing price of iodized salt is P3.55 to P23.55 depending on brands and net weight.
For distilled water, it costs P6 to P85; purified water - P5 to P19.50; and mineralized water - P6 to P72.
Candles, on the other hand, should be sold at P27.50 to P145.75, depending on sizes.
Prime commodities, meanwhile, covered by the DTI include luncheon meat, meatloaf, corned beef, beef loaf, vinegar, patis, soy sauce, toilet soap and batteries.
Based on the September 2019 SRPs, 165 grams of luncheon meat costs P32.50 depending on brands.
For meatloaf, P16.30 to P19.80 depending on net weight and brands; corned beef - P18.50 to P37; and beef loaf - P15.75 to P24.90.
Prices of vinegar range from P6.75 to P14.95, depending on net weight and brands.
Patis should be sold at P9.90 to P18.25 while soy sauce is at P9.20 to P17.40 also depending on net weight and brands.
For toilet soap, the prices range from P12.50 to P40 50 while for batteries, P27 to P172.
Nufable said that based on their monitoring, there are few stores with prices slightly higher than the SRPs.
The DTI official said they sent letters to these establishments for an explanation.
"But, stores in the provinces are generally compliant to the SRPs. Supplies are also sufficient," Nufable said, adding that "we are also monitoring construction supplies and flour."