With the devastation brought by Typhoon Ondoy in the NCR and other neighboring provinces, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has placed a ceiling on all prices of basic commodities in supermarkets and wet markets in order to prevent business owners from taking advantage of the situation. In the emergency meeting of the National Police Coordinating Country, DTI Secretary Peter Favila said that aside from the basic necessities, he would also be asking President Gloria Arroyo to freeze the prices of prime commodities such as the batteries and construction materials.
Basic necessities, as defined in the Price Act, cover both agricultural goods and manufactured products that include rice, corn, bread, fresh, dried and canned fish and other marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry meat, fresh eggs, fresh and processed milk, fresh vegetables, root crops, coffee, sugar, cooking oil, salt, laundry soap, detergents, firewood, charcoal, candles and drugs classified as essential by the Department of Health (DOH).
Prime commodities on the other hand include fresh fruits, flour, dried processed and canned pork, beef and poultry meat, dairy products not falling under basic necessities, noodles, onions, garlic, vinegar, patis (fish sauce), soy sauce, toilet soap, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, poultry, swine and cattle feeds, veterinary products for poultry, swine and cattle, paper, school supplies, nipa shingles, sawali, cement, clinker, GI sheets, hollow blocks, plywood, plyboard, construction nails, batteries, electrical supplies, light bulbs, steel wire and all drugs not classified as essential drugs by the DOH.
And on Sections 6 and 7 of The Price Act, automatic price controls and price ceilings can be imposed on basic necessities if there is a calamity or emergency, during times of war and rebellion, and if martial law is declared.
With the price freeze in place, prices of canned sardines in tomato sauce are now pegged at P12 a can in wet markets and P11.40-P11.75 in supermarkets, condensed milk at P46-P52 in wet markets and P45-P51 in supermarkets, evaporated milk at P33-P44 in wet markets and P32.50-P43.50 in supermarkets, and powdered milk at P41-P70 in wet markets and P41-P68.70 in supermarkets.
Coffee refills now go for P14-P35 a pack in wet markets and P14.60-P35.30 in supermarkets, instant noodles for P6-P6.50 in wet markets and P5.70-P6.50 in supermarkets, laundry soap for P19-P23.95 in wet markets and P18.50-P23.95 in supermarkets, and bath or toilet soap for P26.50-P30 in wet markets and P27-P30.25 in supermarkets.
Regular milled commercial rice should now sell for just P30 a kilo, well-milled commercial rice for P35 a kilo, and premium commercial rice for P40 a kilo, all in wet markets. Pork liempo should be priced no more than P170 a kilo, whole chicken P130 a kilo, refined sugar P38 a kilo, brown sugar P30 a kilo and cooking oil P18 for a “lapad” (rectangular) bottle, all in wet markets.
Prices of canned goods remain pegged: Luncheon meat sells for P25-P60 in wet markets and P27.95-P29.95 in supermarkets, corned beef at P22-P48 in wet markets and P23.95-P44.95 in supermarkets, meat loaf at P18 in wet markets and P16.25-P16.75 in supermarkets, and beef loaf for P17-P26 in wet markets and P15.90-P24.40 in supermarkets.
