Price freeze imposed in calamity zones

MANILA, Philippines - The government has imposed a price freeze on basic commodities in areas placed under a state of calamity following the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda.c

The price freeze will be in effect for a maximum of 60 days, unless lifted by President Aquino.

Speaking to reporters, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said yesterday a price freeze is in place in the municipalities of Coron, Palawan; Baco, Calapan and Naujan in Oriental Mindoro; the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban in Leyte;

and the provinces of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz and Negros Oriental.

“The list of prices (in areas imposed with a price freeze) will be released Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest,” he said.

The price freeze covers rice, corn, bread, and fresh, dried and canned fish, as well as other marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry, eggs, fresh and processed vegetables, root crops, coffee, sugar, cooking oil, salt, laundry soap, detergents, fire wood, charcoal, candles and medicine classified as essential by the Department of Health.

Domingo said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will deploy teams to monitor the prices of goods being sold.

People found selling basic commodities above the prevailing prices will be fined up to P1 million, he added.

President Aquino and Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras have assured residents of typhoon-affected cities and municipalities in the Visayas of “more than enough” supply of rice.

Speaking to reporters, Almendras said yesterday: “We were checking on the total rice inventory of the National Food Authority in the affected areas and there is more than enough rice.”

A check of NFA stocks in the Visayas over the weekend when Aquino, Almendras and other Cabinet members visited typhoon-hit areas showed 3 million sacks of rice in the affected areas.

“We computed, and (we concluded that) there is enough rice. That’s why (Social Welfare) Secretary Dinky (Soliman) went to Tacloban City. She went into the NFA warehouse and repacked the rice so that it can be distributed,” Almendras said.

 Aquino acknowledged this in an interview with reporters in Tacloban.

“We have 3 million (sacks of rice) and even more within the areas that were affected,” he said. “These are sacks of rice at 50 kilos per sack.”

An average Filipino consumes about 11.4 kilos of rice per month – based on 114 kilos per annum, he added.

Domingo does not see any problem in food supply except in areas where roads are damaged.

“Based on the feedback we got, there is plenty of supply,” he said. “The challenge is the logistics or how we can bring goods there.”

Food manufacturers have expressed willingness to cooperate to ensure delivery of supplies in affected areas, Domingo said.

Edith de Leon, Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers, Inc. president, said their members are ready to provide food.

“Year in and year out, we always have typhoons and particularly for Typhoon Yolanda, many of our members have prepared for it,” she said. “We have stocks in our warehouses.”

Steven Cua, Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association president, said some of their members have decided to open today after closing their stores the last three days due to the typhoon.

“They have no electricity but today they opened,” he said.

“They brought some generator sets from Cebu. There is supply (in supermarkets)... If supply will not be enough, we know that there will be goods that will be arriving.”

Domingo said the DTI is planning to sell basic commodities at a discount in typhoon-affected areas, particularly in Tacloban and Ormoc.

“We are still looking at when we can do this the soonest since there is another typhoon this week,” he said.

The DTI is planning to discuss with government financial institutions Small Business Corp., Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines if they can come up with a special assistance package for small and medium enterprises that Yolanda had affected, Domingo said.

Business groups are making preparations on how to help typhoon victims and revive economic activity in the affected areas.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Miguel Varela, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said they are still waiting for feedback from local chambers to find out how many of their members’ businesses were affected by the typhoon.

“I have instructed start of relief operations,” he said.

“We are set to hold a meeting this week on how we can help our members affected to get back on their feet.”

– With Delon Porcalla, Czeriza Valencia, Lalaine Jimenea