Prices increase by 12 percent

The Department of Trade and Industry in Central Visayas reported 10 to 12 percent increase in the prices of “Noche Buena” items sold in the public market.

DTI-7 senior trade and industry development specialist Dinah Gladys Oro said their head office in Manila has already issued suggested retail prices for Noche Buena items to prevent unscrupulous businessmen from taking advantage of the Christmas season.

Oro said they have deployed teams to monitor the prices in the market. She said those who will be caught violating the SRP will be issued a show cause order.

According to the DTI-7, they have monitored an increase in the prices of hams and fruit cocktails by 10 to 12 percent and .55 percent to 3 percent, respectively. However, there was not much movement in the prices of sandwich spread, elbow and salad macaroni, spaghetti sauce, and mayonnaise.

Oro said that the ban on pork and pork-related products from Luzon because of the African Swine Fever (ASF) may have affected the price of ham. Cebu Province has banned the entry of pork and pork-related products from Luzon as well as those imported from ASF-infected countries.

The initial 100day ban was recently extended by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia until June 2020.

Last Wednesday Garcia also issued another order prohibiting the entry of all meat, chicken, fish or any other food products that have been commingled with pork, pork-related products and by-products from all parts of Luzon. The measure was done to protect the province from ASF.

ASF is a viral disease that infects pigs and wild boars exclusively. Humans and other animals, however, are safe from the virus but this does not prevent them from being carriers of the virus since ASF is a transboundary disease. —