THE National Food Authority (NFA) urges the public to report any NFA retailer who sells rice for more than P27 per kilo.
But NFA 7 public information officer Ma. Lucia Rosales said the agency does not have control over the price of commercial rice, which has become more expensive after typhoon Yolanda hit many areas in the Visayas.
Rosales said NFA rice remains at P27 per kilo and the agency can suspend the rice allocation or cancel the license of any retailer who does not follow this.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Cebu Provincial Director Nelia Navarro said an inter-agency committee—composed of DTI, Department of Agriculture (DA), NFA and the Department of Energy (DOE), among others—will meet regularly to monitor the prices of basic and prime commodities.
LPG
The DOE, she said, imposed a price freeze on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene.
Navarro said the DA will look into imposing a price freeze on some agricultural products because the country is under a state of calamity.
She said she has referred to the DA the report that the price of pork has gone up to P210 per kilo yesterday from P185 before Yolanda.
Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu Province, fourth district) also revealed that the price of eggs also increased because poultry farms in Bantayan Island and Tabuelan town were damaged by Yolanda.
Salimbangon said Bantayan Island produced around 1.6 million eggs a day before the super typhoon.
Tabuelan Mayor Rex Gerona said there were about 10 poultry farms in the town but only one is left while the rest were wiped out by typhoon Yolanda.
Navarro said the DTI continues to monitor the prices of coffee, detergent and powdered
milk, among others.
She said the suggested retail price (SRP) of basic goods cannot be increased when the country is under a state of calamity.
Considered prime commodities with no SRP are battery, instant noodles, and toiletries, among others.
Navarro said DTI will also meet mayors in northern Cebu to determine if a Diskuwento Caravan is needed to sell basic and prime commodities at discounted prices.
She said that the inter-agency group is willing to meet with Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, chairman of the Local Price Coordinating Council.