Filipinos preparing for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day can expect stable prices of candles and other basic goods for now, as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) continues to monitor prices and supplies ahead of Undas.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the agency has not recorded price increases in candles and other basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs). The DTI has also yet to receive requests from manufacturers to adjust prices.
Basic Goods Remain at Current Prices
“For now, no price increase,” Roque told reporters on the sidelines of the SGV Tax Symposium on Tuesday.
Aside from candles, the DTI’s BNPC list covers canned sardines, canned meat, coffee, processed milk, instant noodles, condiments, laundry soap, toilet soap, salt, batteries, bottled water, and bread.
These are among the goods the agency monitors to help ensure consumers have access to essential products at stable prices.
DTI Steps Up Supply Monitoring
The agency plans to meet with manufacturers of basic goods this week to check on supply and pricing.
Roque also intends to visit sardine and meat processing facilities to inspect their inventory and assess the availability of essential commodities.
Earlier this month, she visited Philippine Spring Water Resources Inc., the maker of Nature’s Spring, to check bottled water supplies amid the effects of El Niño.
“For those that are part of the BNPC, we want to check the supply. And then we also want to check their inventory,” Roque said.
Consumers Urged Not to Panic
Despite the expected increase in demand for certain goods during Undas, the DTI said there is no immediate reason for consumers to worry about price hikes.
“But for now, there’s no need to panic. The prices of BNPCs within the list of the DTI are stable,” Roque said.
The agency will continue monitoring prices and coordinating with manufacturers to check whether supplies of basic goods remain sufficient in the coming days.
