SAN JOSE, Antique – Business establishments in the province of Antique has enough supply of basic necessities, the Department of Trade and Industry assured the public on Thursday.
Based on their daily monitoring of the 84 business establishments, there is still enough supply despite the extended enhanced community quarantine until April 14, DTI Antique information officer Lynna Joy Cardinal said in an interview.
She said the necessities include canned sardines, processed milk, coffee, detergent/laundry soap, candles, salt, bread, instant noodles, and bottled water.
She said the establishments are also found to be compliant with the Automatic Price Ceiling based on the prevailing prices of the basic necessities before the declaration of the State of Health Emergency by President Rodrigo Duterte.
However, Cardinal said based on their monitoring of 65 pharmacies, there are still no stocks of alcohol and face masks.
“The pharmacies had run out of alcohol and face masks since last February because of the demand due to COVID-19,” she said.
Meanwhile, Cardinal reminded consumers that under DTI Memorandum Circular 20-07, they are enjoined to buy basic necessities sufficient to meet their needs only for a maximum of seven days.
“We are urging consumers to abide with the DTI Memorandum Circular 20-07,” she said.
She added that the DTI Memorandum Circular 20-07 prevents hoarding and panic-buying.
“Retailers are also enjoined to sell only basic necessities based on the quantity limit provided in the DTI Memorandum Circular 20-07,” she said.
For non-food items for example, consumers are only to buy five bars if individually sold and one pack if sold per pack per transaction.
For food items, for example, each
consumer is allowed to buy five packs of instant noodles per type per brand per
transaction only. (with a report from PNA/PN)
