MANILA – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Friday assured that there will be no price increase yet for basic commodities and hopes to extend it until Christmas season.

“For now there will be no price increase. We will retain the prices – the SRPs as of now. So of course we always give audience to the manufacturers and we also consult with the consumers just to know what is happening with them and then how their business are doing. But for now, there’s no price increase,” DTI acting secretary Cristina Roque said.

“I can’t commit now but for now there’s really no price increase and if we can extend it to Christmas of course better for us to have no price increase,” she added.

Roque said they want to give consumers the chance to afford products at a best price.

“So ‘yun talaga ang stand ng DTI, it is to really get consumers a cheaper price. Get the consumers price that they can afford so that they also have extra money for personal not just only napupunta na sa food,” she said.

When it comes to noche buena products, Roque said they have yet to review whether there will be a price increase based on the mga proposed prices of manufacturers.

“Actually I already told my team that we’re gonna review kasi alam na natin yan na pag dating ng ber months of course yung mga ham – everything that’s needed sa Noche Buena yun talaga ang pinagtuunan natin ng atensyon,” she said.

COMPLIANT TO DTI STANDARD

Meanwhile, Roque said markets in the City have actually met the price standard of DTI.

“Para everything is okay, the prices are good – are compliant then the timbangan is also correct. So okay yung palengke. And it’s clean tapos maraming variety. So the palengke in Valenzuela is compliant and meets the standard of the Department of Trade and Industry,” she said.

According to Roque, some of the prices in a supermarket chain have lower SRP prices compared to the SRP given by the DTI.