DTI closely monitors prices of “Noche Buena” items

CEBU CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 is closely monitoring the prices of Noche Buena items to ensure that traders will not spike up their rates with the expected increase of demand during the Christmas season.

DTI 7 Director Asteria Caberte said there is a separate team that will monitor the prices of spaghetti, cheese balls, hams, canned fruit cocktails, and even fresh fruits, the usual items found in Noche Buena, after receiving reports that traders last year increased their prices beyond the suggested retail price (SRP).    

“There will be constant monitoring of Noche Buena items to make sure that the prices will not go beyond the SRP considering that the demand for these items are is expected to increase during the Christmas season,” said Caberte.

Caberte said it is the first time in several years that DTI 7 has formed a separate team for the purpose of tracking the prices of Noche Buena items. She said current market prices are stable so there is no need for traders to spike up the price of their goods.

Also, Caberte said prices of basic commodities in the region have remained stable as fuel price continues to slide down the past weeks.

“Traders are behaving well and prices are stable, consumers will surely have a happy Christmas,” said Caberte.

She said there were groups who filed for price increase at the National Price Coordinating Council but their petitions were turned down when the prices of oil started to go down.

As this developed, Caberte reiterated the DTI warning on substandard Christmas lights, especially those lights that have not passed quality standards and those that have tiny wires.

“We must warn the public from buying cheap Christmas lights because it only means that the quality of the product is not good,” said Caberte.

DTI said Christmas lights are regulated products. Under the Product Certification Scheme of the DTI-Bureau of Product Standards (DTI-BPS), a regulated product or a product that is covered by the mandatory certification, is submitted to the BPS Testing Center or any BPS-recognized laboratory for a series of tests, prior to distribution or sale in the market.

Only those manufacturers and importers whose products pass the safety and quality requirements of a specific standard are issued with a PS License for locally-made products and the ICC Certification for imported products. #