AS school opening draws near, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista ordered on Friday a surprise inspection of school supplies and basic commodities at a big private market to go after unscrupulous traders.
He tasked Market Development and Administration Department head Malou Arrieta to spearhead the price monitoring at Mega Q-Mart located along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue and Kamuning Road.
The city government must ensure that prices of school supplies and other basic commodities sold to the consumers were within the price ceiling prescribed by the Department of Trade and Industry, he said.
The inspection highlighted the city government’s continuing effort to protect city residents against unscrupulous traders and manufacturers, Arrieta said.
“Consumer protection will continue to remain a priority for the city government,” she added.
She underscored the need for market owners to install price tags and price monitoring boards to guide consumers as to the prevailing price ranges of school supplies and other commodities in the market.
“What we want is give consumers more value for their hard-earned money,” she said.
The city government issued notices to 13 stall owners for violations on the Price Tag Law during yesterday’s inspection.
Under the city’s Revised Market Code, violation of the provision on price tags carries a fine of P2,000 for first offense, P3,000, for second offense and P5,000 and possible revocation of business permit for third offense.
At least 11 other stall owners were issued notice of violations for using uncalibrated and unsealed weighing scales.
Apart from the Mega-Q-Mart, the MDAD officials will also inspect Muñoz market.
Market officials have also launched a massive information dissemination campaign in the implementation of Ordinance 2579 prohibiting the selling and promotion of junk food and sugary drinks to preparatory, elementary and high school students inside and within the 100 meter perimeter in public and private schools.