House Assistant Deputy Majority Leader Patrick Michael Vargas on Saturday urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to strictly monitor the prices of “noche buena” items amid the holiday season.
Vargas, vice chair of the House committee on social services, appealed to the government to ensure the “just regulation” of prices of goods to alleviate the burden of Filipinos, especially as Christmas approaches and in the spirit of “bayanihan” and “malasakit.”
In its recently published Noche Buena Price Guide, the DTI reported that 195 out of 223 noche buena products have raised prices with nearly half increasing their prices by more than 10 percent.
“As we expect the increase in demand for noche buena goods and basic necessities due to the holiday season, it is imperative that prices of such commodities are regulated under the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help Filipino consumers while also protecting the rights and income of manufacturers and sellers,” the Quezon City congressman said in a statement.
Vargas earlier filed House Resolution 612, appealing to manufacturers and sellers to observe the recommended price ceilings for basic commodities to ease the burden of Filipinos who are still affected by the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DTI requested manufacturers of noche buena products last September to implement a maximum of 10 percent increase on their prices in recognition of the inevitable increase in prices of basic goods.
“As we expect the increase in demand for noche buena goods and basic necessities due to the holiday season, it is imperative that prices of such commodities are regulated under the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help Filipino consumers while also protecting the rights and income of manufacturers and sellers,” Vargas said in his resolution.
“While we slowly recover from the pandemic thanks to innovative fiscal and economic reforms being rolled out by the current administration, both producers and consumers must work together and be united to face these challenges especially amid the holidays,” he added.