Due to ‘smaze:’ N95 mask price more expensive?

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government is looking into reports that the price of the N95 face mask has skyrocketed following advice from health officials for the public to wear the mask to avoid the effects of “smaze” (smoke and haze) that has penetrated the skies in Metro Cebu.

Councilor Dave Tumulak said he received reports that the mask is being sold at P105, way higher than the suggested retail price of P55.

“Kita pud sa city government, we try to coordinate also sa pag-control sa presyo sa N95 kay kinahanglan sab atong i-control kay before na-isyu ang haze, the price of M95 was only P55 but now nipalo na siya og P105 to P120 so atong ni i-control kay kinahanglan gyud ni ma-control,” Tumulak said during an emergency meeting at the Department of Health (DOH) 7 yesterday.

The report, however, did not reach the Department of Trade and Industry-7.

Regional Director Asteria Caberte said prices have remained the same based on the agency’s monitoring yesterday.

“But supplies are getting scarce,” Caberte said.

Zaide Bati-on, chief of the Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation Division of DTI, said only three of 18 drugstores monitored yesterday are selling N95 dusk masks. The mask is being sold at P100 each at Mercury drug store, P95 each at Machealth Depot, and P75 each at Universe.

“Mao pa daw ni ilang price. No movement yet,” Bati-on said.

A visit by The Freeman at a branch of Mercury in Barangay Talamban yesterday afternoon revealed the branch sells the mask only at P65 each.

For its part, the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources assured it is constantly monitoring the concentrations of pollutants that are causing the smaze in Metro Cebu since last week.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines suspended the operation of light airplanes at the Mactan Cebu International Airport General Aviation Area starting from 5:47 a.m. until 11 a.m. yesterday due to haze.

Shiela Marie Dapo, air traffic management officer I of CAAP-Mactan, Cebu said the flights had to be cancelled as visibility was only about three to four kilometers from the airport’s tower.

Light or small aircraft are those with at a capacity of least two seats and up to six seats. Dapo said most of these light planes are owned by various flying schools.

Among the trips cancelled were those of light planes with passengers touring the Province of Bohol.

The suspension was lifted after visibility from the airport’s tower reached five kilometers.

CAAP-Mactan has been suspending flights for light planes since October 23 and, in fact, on October 25, all flights for small aircrafts were suspended for the whole day.  (FREEMAN)