SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Antique clarified that the slight increase in the prices of basic commodities, as reflected in the new Suggested Retail Price (SRP) disseminated to the retailers, in the province is not solely due to the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.
In an interview Friday, Glen Fernando of DTI Antique said that in the new SRP, there are about eight items among the basic commodities listed that saw price adjustments.
“Among the items that had slight price increases are sardines, milk and detergent soap,” he said.
He said Alaska milk, which used to be sold for PHP54.50 under the June 8 SRP, would have a PHP56.50 price under the July 1 SRP.
Fernando said the price increase in some basic commodities may be due to the adjustment of price of the raw material used or fuel.
He said to ensure that the establishments in the province abide with the SRP, they conduct regular monitoring every third Tuesday of the month.
Meanwhile, Fernando said that last June they had sent Letter of Inquiries to three establishments in the province for having been discovered to have sold processed milk above the DTI-issued SRP.
The establishments, one in Culasi town and two in Antique’s capital San Jose de Buenavista, claimed that they just followed the SRP issued by the Manufacturing Company, which he did not name.
Fernando said that upon inquiry with the DTI Central Office, DTI Antique was informed that there was a pending request for the price increase by the company, but was not yet approved. (Perla Lena/PNA)
