THE Department of Trade and Industry’s Consumer Protection Group (DTI-CPG) will team up with the Department of Agriculture (DA) in a joint price-monitoring operation to ensure the compliance of chicken and pork vendors at wet markets on the government’s suggested retail price (SRP) before the onset of the holiday season.
“Dapat bumaba na ang presyo bago mag-Pasko...we have enough supply,” Trade Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday.
Dimagiba added that the joint price-monitoring operation to be conducted on Thursday is in compliance with President Aquino’s order for coordination between the trade department and the DA to ensure stable price of agriculture commodities.
“Utos ’yan ng Presidente, kailangan mag-coordinate ang Department of Agriculture and DTI. Sa supply side, DA ’yan, but now on price monitoring, tutulungan na kami. Gusto namin maiwasan ’yung karanasan noon sa bawang,” Dimagiba added.
He said that some retailers were found to be noncompliant with the SRP set by the government on pork and chicken.
The proposed SRP for pork would be at P175 for pigue (loin) and P185 per kilo for liempo (belly), while for chicken it was placed at P135 per kilo.
Some retailers, said Dimagiba, are still selling pork at P220 per kilo, while chicken at P140.
The CPG will also be announcing the SRPs of Noche Buena and Christmas items, and vowed to pursue inspection of substandard holiday items, like Christmas lights, in November.