MANILA – The prices of school supplies have risen as raw material costs increase, the Department of Trade and Industry after releasing its annual guide for consumers.
These include notebook and pad paper brands, the DTI said, adding the peso’s weakness made imports more expensive.
Consumers can save money by buying school supplies in bundles, said Trade undersecretary Ruth Castelo.
Advance, Topline, Best Buy, Pandayan, Papelikha, Orions, and Veco raised the prices of their composition, writing and spiral notebooks by P1.00 to P4.00, according to the DTI.
Prices of pad paper for Grades 1 to 4 increased by P0.50 to P6 for brands Easywrite, Best Buy, Sakura, Pandayan, Papelikha and Orions while intermediate paper from Easywrite, Best Buy (book paper), Pandayan, Papellikha and Orions rose by P1.75 to P5, the DTI said.
Best Buy and Pandayan raised the prices of pencils by P4.50 and P1 respectively, while Maryy, Avanti and Pentel ball pens rose by P1 to P6.
Crayon brand HBW Jumbo No. 8 reduced its price by P11, the DTI said. However, Sterling and Colleen brands increased prices by P2 to P10 for boxes of Regular No. 8, Regular No.16, Regular No. 24 and Jumbo 8.
Orion raised the price of its erasers by P2 and rulers by P3. Sterling rulers have also become more expensive by P2.
The DTI said prices of other brands and supplies remained stable.
Visit DTI’s e-Presyo website, www.e-presyo.dti.gov.ph for the complete list of SRPs./PN
