Retailers engage in overpricing warned

The agency’s warning came after the reported significant price increase of basic goods this year following the Russia-Ukraine war.

DTI Davao City Field director Rachel Remitio said the price hike on January 27 and May 11, 2022 were implemented to make up for the price freeze last year due to the pandemic, and to cope with the global rise in production and transportation costs brought about by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

This prompted the DTI to implement higher SRPs for basic necessities and prime commodities, Remetio said in an interview aired over Davao City Disaster Radio recently.

She said some basic goods prices increased by 2-5% but others, like table salt, increased by 7-10%, resulting in an average of 7% price increase on all basic goods. 

Basic goods are classified as basic necessities and prime commodities by the DTI, including canned goods, bread, instant noodles, coffee, soap, salt and other condiments. These are subject to stringent factory gate pricing and close SRP monitoring once they hit the shelves, as mandated by Republic Act No. 7581 also known as the Price Act. 

According to Remitio, all retailers and business establishments in the city that carry 80% of all 218 items listed as basic necessities and prime commodities are monitored by the DTI Davao City Field Office three times a week. 

Remitio, however, said that despite their efforts, cases of retailer overpricing remain rampant.

“We are intensifying our price-monitoring activities because each time we do monitoring inspections we still find violators to our Price Act, which means they are selling basic goods beyond the suggested retail prices,” Remitio said. 

The DTI urged Dabawenyos to practice consumer awareness by staying informed of DTI’s SRPs for basic goods and reporting cases of noncompliance. 

Remitio invited consumers to access DTI’s nationwide bulletin of SRP for basic necessities and prime commodities online through the e-Presyo website. 

“Aside from the suggested retail prices displays that are required of all retailers or supermarkets, we as consumers, because of easy access to technology, can now check using our phones through the e-Presyo … Suggested retail prices can be viewed from there,” she added. 

The DTI is also urging consumers to be vigilant and take an active part in controlling prices in the market by reporting any retailer violations or noncompliance. 

The DTI Davao City Field Office earlier launched the Negosyo Center Calinan, Negosyo Center Toril, Negosyo Center Davao City, and DTI Davao City Facebook pages as platforms for consumers who wish to send in reports.

“We are requesting for the assistance of the public that if you have observed changes or violations from our retailers, please inform us. Again, we have been promoting access through the different Facebook accounts of DTI because we know that Facebook and Messenger are the most common medium used by everyone,” Remitio further said.