THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday, July 3, released a price guide for school items in time for the opening of the new school year later this month.
The DTI said its “Gabay sa Pamimili ng School Supplies” serves as a price guide for consumers in purchasing school items.
They are as follows:
* notebook P11.80 – P52
* grades 1-4 pad paper – P9.50-P61
* intermediate pad paper – P13.80-P48.75
* pencils – P11-P33
* ballpens – P3-P33
* a box of crayons with eight colors – P12.00 (regular)-P65 (jumbo)
* crayon pack (12-color) – P32
* crayon pack (16-color) – P24-P83
* crayon pack (24-color) – P34-P114
* sharpeners – P15-P69
* rulers – P16-P29
* erasers – P4.50-P20
The Trade department said that year-on-year 68% or 80 stock keeping units (SKUs) out of 117 recorded no price movement, while 8% or nine SKUs had decreased prices.
About 24 percent or 28 SKUs showed an increase in prices.
The DTI, meanwhile, urged consumers to check the labels of school supplies.
The labels must have the name and address of the manufacturer or importer, and the number of leaves must be indicated in notebooks and paper, among others.
“I urge consumers to buy school supplies from companies that comply with labeling requirements and use the Gabay in shopping. The Gabay indicates which SKUs have not increased or have retained their prices,” said Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.
The price guide was released as the Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday opened the enrollment period for School Year 2024-2025 in all public schools across the country.]
Delisting items
Also on Wednesday, the DTI said it is mulling to drop some items for monitoring under the suggested retail price (SRP) bulletin.
It has floated this plan to the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) during their last meeting on June 27.
“Our goal with this proposal is to improve the usability and relevance of the SRP Bulletin, making it a more effective tool for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. By aligning the SRP with essential daily and emergency items, we are taking a significant step towards better price stability and consumer protection,” DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual said.
Among the products the DTI proposed to delist from the SRP were condensed milk, condensada, evaporated milk, evaporada, coffee refill, candles, salt, bottled water, condiments, and batteries. (GMA Integrated News/with a report from Philippine News Agency)
