DTI-Cebu monitors establishments, online sellers overpricing masks; 2 called for investigation

A block-long line of people queuing to buy surgical face masks in a pharmacy along Osmeña Boulevard, a day after the Department of Health announced the first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV in the country. | CDN Digital Photo by Morexette Marie B. Erram

CEBU CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry in Cebu (DTI-Cebu) has identified several establishments and online sellers in Cebu City allegedly overpricing surgical masks and N95 masks.

In a post on their official Facebook page, DTI – Cebu announced that they have invited two establishments for investigation after they received complaints for supposed overpricing.

DTI-Cebu also revealed that they are monitoring online shops and sellers, and they discovered three online shops and sellers selling masks over the suggested retail price (SRP).

“These online sellers selling disposable masks over SRP P8 (each mask)  are now recorded, and will be traced with the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI),” DTI – Cebu added.

A total of ten establishments are also being monitored by the agency for alleged overpricing as of January 31, 2020. Three more were issued with letters of inquiry to explain complaints DTI-Cebu received from consumers.

“According to the Department of Health (DOH) Memorandum Order No. 2020- 0005, the prices of disposable face masks should only range from Php 1.10- Php 8.00, and prices of N95 face masks should only range from Php 45.00 – Php 105.00,” they added.

Reports of pharmacies and stores running out of stocks of surgical masks broke out a day after DOH confirmed the first case of 2019-novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV-ARD) in the country on January 30, 2020.

DOH in Central Visayas, however, urged the public to use the masks only when they are headed for populous areas, and places they are unsure of the crowd.