Candles, noche Buena food on price watch

MANILA, Philippines - With the approach of All Saints’ Day and Christmas, the government is watching the prices of the most in-demand items during the holidays, including candles, bottled water and noche buena fare.

Several consumer protection programs have been lined up to prevent price abuse on certain products during the coming holidays.

“We want to assist consumers through our protection programs and also by informing them to be more careful about the prices,” Trade Undersecretary Victorio Mario Dimagiba said.

“As we all know, this is the holiday season or the spending season.”

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will ask bottled water manufacturers to put up buying stations in bus terminals and cemeteries on All Saints’ Day, Dimagiba said.

Bottled water in these buying stations should be sold at suggested retail price (SRP) level, he added.

Bus terminal owners will be asked to monitor the prices of bottled water being sold by their concessionaires, he said.

The DTI is in the process of expanding the SRP list for candles to include the most basic up to the most luxurious brands, Dimagiba said.

The expanded SRP list will be released not later than mid-October, he added.

The DTI will also be meeting with flower dealers to monitor the prices of flowers, he said.

Consumer protection programs for Christmas-related products are also set to be implemented, Dimagiba said.

The DTI has reinforced its standards in monitoring and enforcement activities on Christmas lights and fireworks.

Consumers are advised to look for the ICC sticker when buying Christmas lights and the printed PS mark on boxes and packages of fireworks. 

The DTI has also strengthened its price monitoring activities on noche buena products, Dimagiba said.

They have met with manufacturers, he added.

The SRP list for noche buena products will be submitted to the DTI by mid-October for consolidation and is set to be released after Nov. 2, Dimagiba said.

“To ensure reasonableness of prices and adequacy of supply of manufactures and processed basic necessities and prime commodities, the DTI shall conduct intensified price and supply monitoring activities in retail establishments,” he said.

up to prevent price abuse on certain products during the coming holidays.

“We want to assist consumers through our protection programs and also by informing them to be more careful about the prices,” Trade Undersecretary Victorio Mario Dimagiba said.

“As we all know, this is the holi- day season or the spending season.”

The Department of Trade and In- dustry (DTI) will ask bottled water manufacturers to put up buying sta- tions in bus termi- nals and cemeteries on All Saints’ Day, Dimagiba said.

Bottled water in these buying sta- tions should be sold at suggested retail price (SRP) level, he added.

Bus terminal owners will be asked to monitor the prices of bottled water being sold by their concession- aires, he said.

The DTI is in the process of expand- ing the SRP list for candles to include the most basic up to the most lux- urious brands, Dimagiba said.

The expanded SRP list will be released not later than mid-October, he added.