DTI issues price guide for school supplies

MANILA, Philippines — As classes are set to begin later this month, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has released a price guide to help consumers in the purchase of school supplies.

The price guide includes specific brands of notebooks, pad paper, pencils, ballpoint pens, crayons, erasers, sharpeners and rulers.

For this year’s price guide, the DTI said prices of 68 percent or 80 out of the 117 stock keeping units (SKUs) remained the same, while eight percent or nine SKUs had decreased prices.

Meanwhile, 24 percent or 28 SKUs showed price increases.

In this year’s price guide, notebook prices range from P11.80 to P52.

The prices of Grades 1 to 4 pad paper vary from P9.50 to P61.

Intermediate pad paper, on the other hand, is priced from P13.80 to P48.75.

For writing materials such as pencils and ballpoint pens, the prices range from P11 to P33 and P3 to P33, respectively.

As for crayons, consumers may purchase a box of eight colors for as low as P12 (regular) to as high as P65 (jumbo).

A 12-color pack costs P32, while the price of a 16-color pack ranges from P24 to P83 and a 24-color pack is priced from P34 to P114.

Sharpeners and rulers are priced at P15 to P69 and P16 to P29, respectively.

Prices of erasers with small, medium and large sizes range from P4.50 to P20, unchanged from last year.

The DTI is reminding consumers to check the labels of school supplies.

It said the labels must indicate the name and address of the manufacturer or importer.

The DTI has also proposed to streamline the Suggested Retail Price (SRP) Bulletin to make it more relevant to consumers as a price guide.

In a statement yesterday, the DTI said it presented the proposal during a special meeting of the National Price Coordinating Council last June 27.

Under the DTI’s proposal, items to be removed from the SRP list include condensed milk, condensada, evaporated milk, evaporada, coffee refill, candles, salt, bottled water, condiments and batteries.

Those proposed to be retained include sardines, powdered milk, bread, laundry soap, instant noodles, processed and canned pork, beef and poultry meat and toilet soap.

“Our goal with this proposal is to improve the usability and relevance of the SRP Bulletin, making it a more effective tool for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions,” Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said.

He said aligning the SRP with essential daily and emergency items would help improve price stability and consumer protection.

The DTI’s proposal is being made following consultations with stakeholders, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association Inc., Philippine Association of Stores and Carinderia Owners and several retailers.

It also considered data from the Family Income and Expenditure Survey, Consumer Price Index basket of commodities and top-selling items in sari-sari stores.

A technical working group will be set up to finalize the list of SKUs within each category and to refine the proposal.

The DTI is mandated to ensure stable prices and adequate supply of basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs).

Under the Price Act, implementing agencies may issue suggested retail prices for any or all BNPCs under their jurisdiction.

“I urge consumers to buy school supplies from companies that comply with labeling requirements and use the Gabay in shopping. The Gabay indicates which SKUs have not increased or have retained their prices,” Pascual said.