TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Leyte will start monitoring prices of ‘noche buena’ products starting this October in preparation for the upcoming Christmas season.
Prices on noche buena products such as hams, fruit cocktails, and other processed food, will be monitored by the DTI to ensure that there is no overpricing in the market as the Christmas seasons is fast approaching.
Araceli Larraga, DTI-Leyte chief of the consumers’ welfare division, said that the prices of these products should not exceed the suggested retail price (SRP).
Larraga advises the public to report stores with overpriced noche buena products to their office. Stores caught overpricing will be given a show cause order to explain why their prices are higher than the SRP.
No cases of overpricing were reported during the same season last year, Larraga said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), on the other hand, assured the public that chicken and other poultry products is enough to supply the demand of the region during the season.
This was stated by agriculturist Dioscoro Gasatan who said that the supply of chicken and other livestock products in the region are sufficient to address the need of the consumers.
According to Gasatan, it is more probable that prices of vegetables during the season may increase due to low production in the region. The department also conducts price monitoring two times every week. (MARWAH JAILANI, LNU Student Intern)