BY NYARIKA DOMANAIS
BACOLOD City – To cushion the adverse impacts of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon on the prices of basic commodities, the Kabankalan City Government in Negros Occidental has begun implementing a 60-day price freeze.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Negros Occidental approved the price freeze request of the city government.
In her letter to Mayor Benjie Miranda, DTI-Negros Occidental head Lyna Joy Cardinal submitted a list of commodities covered by an automatic price ceiling.
Miranda, for his part, said there is a need to enforce a price freeze to control the prices of basic goods.
He added the price freeze will also ensure that business establishments will not take advantage of the crisis affecting the residents.
Kabankalan City is currently under a state of calamity after recording several millions of pesos in damage to crops due to drought caused by El Niño.
Data from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) showed that the city is the hardest hit locality by the drought, with damage pegged at P99,624,716.80.
Affected so far are 3,430 farmers tilling 2,355.11 hectares of rice lands across 20 barangays, OPA added./PN
