Sale of disinfectants, face masks still under sale quantity limit — DTI
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has lifted the quantity limit on the sale and purchase of vital and essential products listed under Memorandum Circulars No. 20-07 and 20-10 except for disinfecting alcohol, hand sanitizers, disinfecting liquids, and face masks (N95 and N88).
The DTI has issued MC No. 20-36 lifting the quantity limit on the sale and purchase of certain essential products ordered in March this year to stop hoarding and panic-buying.
But the new MC continued to impose volume limit on the sale of the four items. Disinfecting alcohol is limited to 5 bottles per customer for sizes one liter and below and 3 bottles for sizes more than one liter from 2 pieces only, regardless of size.
Hand sanitizers are also limited to 5 bottles per customer for sizes one liter and below and 3 bottles for sizes more than one liter from only 2 pieces regardless of size.
For disinfecting liquids, a customer is limited to 5 bottles for sizes one liter and below and 3 bottles for sizes more than one liter from the original volume limit of 2 pieces only.
A customer is allowed to buy one box (50 pcs) of face masks only, which is a more relaxed volume cap than the original volume limit of 5 pieces for N88 and N95.
MC 20-07 was issued by DTI on March 19, 2020, three days after President Duterte placed the entire Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to stop hoarding by consumers, who had been in panic-buying on some products at the onset of the lockdown that resulted in higher prices and shortages.
The original list includes vital and essential commodities hand sanitizer, disinfecting liquids, bath soap, toilet paper, face mask, locally produced instant noodles (mami, pancit canton), canned regular milk, instant coffee in sachet, mineral water, and loaf bread.
MC 20-10 is a supplemental Anti-Hoarding and Anti-Panic Buying Directive under MC 20-07. It added in the list new products with quantity limit. The additional products include disinfectant wipes or towelettes such as wet wipe and baby wipes; locally produced detergent soap; toothpaste; mouthwash; canned pork; canned beef; cooking oil, locally produced condiments (soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce); and dried fish.