BY EUGENE Y.ADIONG
BACOLOD City – Local government units have been urged to activate their local price monitoring councils.
Noting the recent spike in the prices of prime commodities, Negros Occidental’s Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. believes big traders are hoarding the supply of goods to drive their prices up.
He called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to go after the hoarders.
“Padlock their stores and warehouses if they do not comply with the suggested retail prices,” Marañon urged DTI.
He suggested that DTI conduct “surprise visits” to stores and warehouses to catch the hoarders.
But the governor also has an advice to consumers: “Spend wisely.”
Procopio Trabajo III, National Food Authority (NFA)- Bacolod City manager, said, “This is actually the time when we have to expect the prices of rice to increase.”
“We’re in the lean months kaya lang ang nangyayari, contributory din to the increase ang buying price of the traders,” he explained.
The NFA assured the public that there is enough rice stocks good for the next two months, in addition to the 600,000 metric tons of rice expected to arrive from Vietnam at the end of the month.
Rice prices in the province now range from P40 to P44 per kilo for regular milled rice and from P42 to P46 per kilo for well-milled rice./PN
