By Cindy Ferrer/PNA
ILOILO CITY — Five days before Christmas, there is still enough supply of products for the Noche Buena in Western Visayas (Region 6).
This was assured by Felisa Judith Degala, chief of the Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Trade and Industry 6 (DTI-6), in an interview Wednesday.
Degala advised consumers rushing to buy Noche Buena products not to worry as suppliers and establishments made assurances they have enough supply.
She added that Noche Buena items like ham, pasta, sauce, cheese, fruit cocktails, among others, are currently in demand.
Based on the latest monitoring of DTI-6, Degala said that establishments are also following the suggested retail price (SRP) released by the department as early as the first week of December.
“We have been conducting weekly monitoring in our grocery stores and supermarkets and we have confirmed that they are following the SRP,” she said.
Meantime, she advised the consumers to be vigilant and check the expiry date of the products they buy.
“Be very particular about that especially items that have discounts because most of these products already near the expiry date,” she said.
While Christmas lights is also among the in-demand items during the Yuletide Season, Degala told consumers to check if they have Philippine Standard (PS) or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) marks.
“We have been strictly monitoring Christmas lights because of the danger that this electrical product can cause,” she said.
As of their latest monitoring, Degala said that establishments are also compliant with the PS and ICC marks on their products.
She added that they did not even receive reports from consumers complaining against sub-standard Christmas lights.
“We hope that our establishments will remain compliant to ensure the safety of our consumers,” she said.
Degala said they are still waiting for the list of standard-compliant manufacturers allowed to produce firecrackers and fireworks from the Bureau of Philippine Standards.
