THE Department of Trade and Industry-Davao Region (DTI-Davao) announced during the DTI-Davao Annual Media Interface on Thursday morning, December 12, 2024, that prices of Noche Buena products remain stable with no significant price increases being monitored.
According to DTI-Davao city director Lucky Siegfred M. Balleque, there were no reports of dissatisfaction among Davao City consumers on prime goods and services as Christmas and New Year celebrations near.
“So far naman sa [here in] Davao City, the prices are stable but I have not heard any complaint of basic necessities”, he said.
The same statement was also shared by DTI-Davao Regional Director Romeo Castanaga, saying that apart from Davao City, “all of the agency’s provincial offices monitored no violations on the implemented 2024 Noche Buena Price Guide” which was issued last November to help consumers plan for their holiday season purchases.
The price guide lets consumers be smart and mindful of their budget and plan for Noche Buena and reminds them of their duty to exercise critical awareness by evaluating the products' quality and price to make sure they are getting a good deal.
Included in the Price Guide list are 236 stock-keeping units (SKUs) from 20 Noche Buena manufacturers covering 12 categories, such as ham, queso de bola, fruit cocktail, cheese, sandwich spread, all-purpose cream, mayonnaise, pasta, elbow macaroni, salad macaroni, spaghetti sauce, and tomato sauce.
However, Castanaga emphasized that if there is a slight increase in the prices of some Noche Buena items, their agency assures consumers that the DTI Consumer Policy and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB) made a comprehensive assessment of all price adjustments. In order to maintain the protection of consumer rights, it even actively worked with the manufacturers to develop fair pricing modifications.
The manufacturers and DTI worked together to determine whether the price adjustments, which varied from 0.59% to 30.77% from the previous year's pricing guide, were appropriate. The higher prices of local and imported raw ingredients (meat, sugar, cheese curd, soy beans, and wheat at tomato paste), packaging materials, labor, electricity, and distribution expenses were the main causes of the updated rates. DEF