Supermarkets note hike in prices of some basic goods

MANILA, October 30 ------ Despite the declaration of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque that there will be no price increases for basic and prime commodities until the end of 2026, supermarket owners note upward adjustments for some basic products.

The DTI only monitors prices of 204 stock-keeping units of basic and prime commodities through the suggested retail price system. These include the basic variants of goods like sardines, instant noodles, canned meat, etc.

Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association executive director Steven Cua says prices of some variants of basic and prime commodities that do not have SRPs have gone up. "Mga kilalang brands may isang item na medyo malaki ang itinaas, pero yun na nga pwedeng iwasan kaya lang kung di naman tayo aware of prices at all dahil dampot lang tayo ng dampot, eh mapapamahal tayo," says Cua over DZMM Teleradyo this morning.

For example, in sardines, only the basic type in tomato sauce is covered by the SRP system. This means that varieties like mackerel, or those with spices or Spanish oil, are not included in the SRP, which means prices of these products are not regulated. Even family staples like chocolate drinks for children, biscuits for the elderly, fruit, and soft drinks are not covered by the SRP scheme of the government.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com