MANILA -- The Department of Trade and Industry has yet to decide on petitions for price increases for basic commodities.

Acting Trade Secretary Cristina Roque told reporters on Friday that the department will still have to do consultations on the request of around 60 stockkeeping units (SKU) including bread, canned sardines, detergent, canned meat, milk, and noodles.

“‘Yong ingredients nila tumataas na tapos ‘yong cost of living is going higher. That’s normal naman for mga nagbebenta. We always want to increase your price so we can also have better salary,” Roque said.

(The cost of their ingredients climbed, and the cost of living is getting higher. That's normal of sellers.)

Roque said manufacturers said increases in the prices of raw materials and the weakening of the peso versus the US dollar in the previous months were among the factors why they are petitioning for price hikes.

However, the DTI said it is considering how price increases in basic commodities will affect consumers.

“We also need to be sensitive to the needs of the consumers, so we need to really balance everything to be able to come up with the correct decision whether mag-increase ang price or not - na ngayon hindi napapanahon pa (right now, it's not yet the time),” Roque said.

DTI also reminded retailers that the prize freeze in Metro Manila is still in effect until September 22. 

DTI Assistant Secretary Agaton Uvero said the Fair Trade Group will conduct strict monitoring of price freeze implementation in other areas still under state of calamity.

DTI reminds Metro Manila retailers: Price freeze effective until September 22

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