DTI steps up price monitoring in Iloilo

ILOILO CITY – With inflation hitting 6.4 percent, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is intensifying its price monitoring for basic commodities in the city and province.

“One of indicators is movement of prices of goods. We want to validate if it is within standards,” said DTI Iloilo Director Diosdado Cadena Jr.

Last |Thursday a monitoring team started inspecting major supermarkets with the suggested retail prices (SRPs) in Iloilo City.

Ma. Dorita Chavez, DTI-Iloilo’s senior specialist, said monitored products include processed food such as canned goods, coffee, milk, sugar, and locally made noodles. Also monitored are laundry soaps.

“So far, there are no violations by supermarkets,” Cadena noted.

Consumers at wet markets, however, complained that since the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law prices of fish and vegetables have skyrocketed.

But Cadena said most of the products sold at wet markets are classified as fresh and monitoring is technically under the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“We are assisting DA in that matter,” he said.

DTI-Iloilo urged consumers to file a complaint if they feel supermarkets have unreasonably increased prices.