ILOILO City – To protect consumers from undue price increases, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is implementing a price freeze on basic necessities in Western Visayas areas declared under a state of calamity due to the El Niño phenomenon and pertussis outbreak.
Businesses found violating the price freeze face penalties, including imprisonment for one to 10 years or a fine.
Under the Price Act (Republic Act No. 7581), prices of basic necessities are automatically frozen at their prevailing rates for 60 days when an area is under a state of calamity.
Thirty-one local government units (LGUs) in the region declared a state of calamity between March 13 and May 1, with 30 due to El Niño and one due to a pertussis outbreak.
According to DTI Region 6, the price freeze due to El Niño affects 18 towns in Antique (Anini-y, Tobias Fornier, Hamtic, San Jose de Buenavista, Belison, Patnongon, Bugasong, Laua-an, Barbaza, Tibiao, Culasi, Caluya, Sebaste, Pandan, Libertad, Sibalom, San Remigio, and Valderrama). That’s because the provincial government declared an Antique-wide state of calamity.
The price freeze also applies to the towns of Sara, Estancia, Barotac Viejo, Bingawan, Balasan, and Dingle and the component city of Passi in Iloilo province.
In Negros Occidental, the price freeze is in effect in San Enrique town, Kabankalan City, and the municipality of Valladolid ; while in the island-province of Guimaras, it is being observed in Buenavista and San Lorenzo towns.
On the other hand, a price freeze due to the pertussis outbreak is in effect in Iloilo City.
DTI personnel are regularly monitoring retailers for compliance with the price freeze on basic necessities such as canned fish, processed milk, coffee, detergent, laundry soap, bread, instant noodles, salt, bottled water, and candles, according to Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Rachel Nufable.
“DTI provincial offices and the Consumer Protection Division are working closely with LGUs to monitor the implementation of the price freeze, ensuring consumer protection,” said Nufable.
Consumers are encouraged to report retailers selling basic necessities above the specified price freeze to the DTI Region 6 or its provincial offices in Antique, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Guimaras.
The automatic price freeze in the following LGUs is effective until the specified dates unless lifted earlier by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.:
* Iloilo City (March 26 – May 25)
* Buenavista, Guimaras (March 25 – May 24)
* Anini-y, Antique (March 26 – May 25)
* San Enrique, Negros Occidental (April 8 – June 7)
* Laua-an, Antique (April 12 – June 11)
* Sara, Iloilo (April 12 – June 11)
* Estancia, Iloilo (April 15 – June 14)
* San Remigio, Antique (April 16 – June 15)
* Tobias Fornier, Antique (April 17 – June 16)
* San Lorenzo, Guimaras (April 17 – June 16)
* whole province of Antique (April 18 – June 17)
* Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental (April 18 – June 17)
* Barotac Viejo, Iloilo (April 24 – June 23)
* Bingawan, Iloilo (April 24 – June 23)
* Passi City, Iloilo (April 25 – June 24)
* Balasan, Iloilo (April 25 – June 24)
* Dingle, Iloilo (April 30 – June 29)
* Valladolid, Negros Occidental (May 1 – June 30)
DTI said the list of LGUs under the price freeze might expand as the entire province of Iloilo was declared under a state of calamity on May 14. The province comprises 42 towns and the component city of Passi.
While in theory a price freeze is automatic upon the declaration of a state of calamity, DTI said it must first receive a copy of the declaration from the LGU or provincial government concerned.
In the case of Iloilo province, the provincial government has yet to submit such to DTI Region 6 as of this writing yesterday afternoon./PN
