ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) -- The Capiceños were advised by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to prepare early the needed commodities for the All Saints and All Souls Days on Nov. 1 and 2, respectively, for convenience and to avoid opportunistic merchants taking advantage of the season.
This was conveyed by DTI provincial director Ken Queenie Cuñada during the monitoring of at least 11 establishments in the city, Oct. 26, to ensure that the retailers and ambulant vendors will sell the commodities like candles, bottled water, and flowers based on the Suggested Retail Price (SRP).
The DTI Provincial Office has formed the “Oplan Bantay Presyo Undas 2023” team to conduct the monitoring activity to protect the interest of the consumers by ensuring that the prices of “fast-moving commodities” remain stable despite increasing demand in the observance of "Undas" this year.
The Roxas City government’s Business Process and Licensing Office also joined the team, which also monitored the upcoming occasion’s high-traffic areas like transport terminals, flower shops, and cemeteries.
“To our consumers, we advise not to wait for the last minute to buy our needs as you might end up buying from unscrupulous vendors when you run out of time,” she stressed.
Further, the public is encouraged to exercise their consumer rights and responsibilities to protect themselves from potential exploitation or misinformation amid the occasion of religious tradition and cultural norms.
Cuñada also asked for the cooperation of the merchants of the in-demand commodities for Undas as the DTI and local government units are monitoring violators to protect the consuming public against unreasonable price increases or fraudulent practices.
The price monitoring is also in time with the yearly Consumer Welfare Month every October as embodied in Proclamation No. 1098 issued in 1997. (AGP/AAL/PIA Capiz)
