A consumer group on Tuesday urged the Department of Trade and Industry to direct businessmen to slash the prices of basic goods after recent rollbacks on oil prices.

The cost of transporting goods has gone down by 13 percent after pump prices went down in the last 5 weeks, said Laban Konsyumer president Vic Dimagiba.

"Moto propio, [dapat] maglabas ng kautusan ang DTI sa mga negosyante dahil sa 5 linggong pagbaba ng produktong petrolyo, e magbaba rin sila ng kanilang presyo," he told radio DZMM.

(The DTI should release a moto propio order for businessmen to cut consumer prices due to the price rollback of petroleum products for 5 weeks.)

"Dapat paramdam naman tayo sa consumers," added Dimagiba, who is a former DTI undersecretary.

(We should be felt by consumers.)

The order, he said, should cover all products especially those transported to markets daily, like poultry, pork, beef, fish, vegetables, and canned goods.

DZMM, 13 November 2018