MANILA - The Department of Trade and Industry on Friday said it is looking at the possibility of issuing suggested retail prices for school supplies months before classes resume.

The DTI only issues SRPs for basic commodities such as rice, canned goods, sugar, and other commonly used items at home.

"Ang school supplies ay hindi basic so hindi natin sila nire-regulate," Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo told state television PTV.

"We'll see in the coming days kung ilalabas po namin ang bulletin for balik eskuwela (back to school) products," she said.

The DTI has yet to release a bulletin on the adjusted prices of basic goods as the agency has to thoroughly study if the price increase for any basic necessity is justified, she said.

Among the items that have requested for a price hike is the Pinoy Tasty and the Pinoy Pandesal, Castelo said.

"May request sila na P4 increase pero hindi pa tayo tapos mag review," she said.

"Mayroon tayong pending requests pa from January and then May pero hindi po talaga natin sila pinagsasabay-sabay lalo na kung malaki yung approved request nila dahil ito ay masyadong mabigat para sa mga consumers," she said.

Castelo did not mention when the DTI would release its next SRP bulletin, and if it would already include price caps for school supplies.

But the Trade official noted that so far, major supermarkets have been compliant with the DTI's suggested prices.

"'Yung mga wholesalers, mga wholesale clubs... ang prices are much lower than the suggested retail price," she said.

"We have seen na nakakapagbenta pa sila ng mas mababa by P2. Nakakapagbenta din sila ng ibang produkto na P4 lower than the SRP na binibigay ng DTI," she said.

"This is why we also encourage our consumers na doon sila bumili sa mga malalaki dahil doon sila mas makakatipid at mas makakasigurado na tama o tugma sa SRP natin yung mga presyo ng mga bilihin," she added.

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