BORACAY – A price freeze has been imposed in this island resort currently undergoing rehabilitation.
The Department of Trade and Industry placed Boracay under an “automatic price ceiling (APC) state.”
An area placed under a state of calamity is placed under an APC state as well, according to Ma. Carmen I. Iturralde, acting director of the DTI-Aklan.
“[This] means businessmen selling basic commodities must implement a price freeze,” Iturralde said. “They are not allowed to increase prices on basic goods.”
She said the DTI-Aklan was complying with an order it received from its central office on Friday.
Personnel of the department’s provincial office then distributed fliers on the price freeze order to all stores in the island.
The DTI said it will conduct a strict monitoring of commodity prices. Violators will be penalized, it warned.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Boracay Island closed off to tourists for six months to give way to rehabilitation.
Duterte called the country’s top tourist destination a “cesspool,” citing sewerage and garbage management problems.
The island was also placed under a state of calamity to allow the use of the calamity fund for the rehabilitation./PN
