SAN JOSE, Antique – The council that will take charge of controlling the prices of goods in Antique will start operating tomorrow.
Acting governor Edgar Denosta said this on Monday, adding that the initial operation of the Antique Provincial Price Coordinating Council (APPCC) is aimed at the full implementation of a price control policy in the province.
He added that the APPCC’s intervention is necessary following the declaration of a state of calamity in Antique on Aug. 9 due to heavy rains and floods that damaged crops in the province.
The APPCC will closely monitor prices of basic commodities and agricultural products, said Denosta.
“We received reports that the prices of rice, fish and other basic commodities have gone up so we have asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) to make their reports,” he added.
The DTI is in charge of monitoring the basic commodities while the OPA, rice and other agricultural products.
“It must be because of the lack of supply that there are price increases,”Denosta said, adding that the lack of supply was due to the damages brought about by southwest monsoon rains to crops last July and early this month.
Damage to crops, according to the OPA, amounted to P31,662,805.45 as of Aug. 7.
Denosta said they might create a task force to assist the DTI and OPA in the daily monitoring of prices of commodities. (With a report from PNA/PN)
