INQUIRER.NET
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has monitored only marginal changes in the prices of most Noche Buena products this year from 2016, but consumers should expect to pay more for ham this holiday season.
Dinah Gladys Oro, senior trade industry development specialist at DTI Cebu, said the prices of almost all of the ham products they monitor have increased this year.
“This is because the prices of imported raw materials have increased as well as the depreciation of the Philippine pesos against the US dollar,” she said in an interview with Cebu Daily News on Tuesday.
Noche Buena items include ham, spaghetti pasta, elbow and salad macaroni, cheese, mayonnaise, sandwich spread, tomato sauce and creamer.Based on the Suggested Retail Prices (SRPs) of Noche Buena Products released by DTI last Nov. 4, the prices of ham increased by P10 to P30, depending on the brand and size.
CDO American Ham (500g) increased to P145 this year from P135 last year; Purefoods Hamon de Bola (1kg), P315 from P305; and King Sue Chinese Style Ham (raw, 2.5-4kg), P635.25/kg from P605/kg.
Prices of keso de bola, on the other hand, logged increments of P10 to P15, depe nding on size and variant.The price of Magnolia Queso de Bola (350g) increased to P215 this year from P205 last year; Che-Vital Cheese Balls (500g), unchanged at P258.25; and Danes Eden Cheese Ball (750g), P459 from P445.
Oro said that consumers still have enough time to prepare since most supermarkets only start stocking on these products by the third week of December.
She assured the buying public that the prices of these products at the beginning of the display will be maintained until the end of 2017.
Minimal movementOn the other hand, the prices of Noche Buena products available throughout the year such as pasta and elbow macaroni showed only minimal movement.
The price of Del Monte Spaghetti (175g) increased to P20.60 this year from P20.20 in 2016; Fiesta Spaghetti (450g), unchanged at P35; and El Real Spaghetti (1kg), P57 from P56.For Amigo Segurado Elbow Macaroni (200g), the price is fixed at P15.25; Del Monte Elbow and Salad Macaroni (400g), P51 from P50; and La Filipina Elbow Macaroni (1kg), unchanged at P93.45.
The SRPs apply to both supermarkets and wet markets, unless specified.
Oro reminded consumers to examine the expiry date and the price tag of products before purchase.
She also said buyers should also ensure that the shelf price and the price at the cashier are the same.
If prices differ, consumers pay the lesser amount.
Furthermore, buyers should carefully check and compare weights of competing brands.
Profiteering is punishable under Republic Act No. 7851 or the Price Act, as amended.
Quality Christmas lights onlyMeanwhile, the DTI also reminded consumers to only patronize quality Christmas products, especially lights.Zaide Bation, consumer welfare division chief of DTI-Cebu, in a separate interview, said consumers need to check whether these Christmas lights have Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers.She explained that cheap and uncertified Christmas lights may pose great hazard to users such as electric shock and overheating which often leads to fire.
Products with ICC stickers are those that have passed standards set by the DTI’s Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) after undergoing several tests.In the case of Christmas lights, these products undergo three tests including a ball pressure test, endurance test and torque test which is composed of a wiring test and a test for electric shock.
DTI has yet to release a list of recommended importers that carry certified brands.
Bation said that starting this week, the agency will go around Cebu to check whether small retail stores in the province are displaying and selling non-certified Christmas lights.