Roque reminds DTI of price freeze in areas under state of calamity

There shall be no increase in the prices of basic necessities in areas which have declared a state of calamity, Malacañang said on Friday in the wake of Typhoon Ulysses' onslaught.

"Pinapalalahanan din ang Department of Trade and Industry na base sa Republic Act 7581 o ang Price Act, ang presyo ng mga bilihin [sa mga lugar under state of calamity] ay frozen sa kanilang prevailing prices sa ilalim ng automatic price control sa loob ng 60 araw," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council briefing.

Roque said that among the areas that shall  implement the price freeze are Batangas, Cavite, Catanduanes, Mindoro, Palawan, and Camarines provinces, as well as Marikina City.

Under Section 6 of the Price Act, "if the prevailing price of any basic necessity is excessive or unreasonable, the implementing agency may recommend to the President the imposition of a price ceiling for the sale of the basic necessity at a price other than its prevailing price."

Ulysses is already outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility before noon on Friday but it left at least 14 people dead and scores of families in Luzon displaced from their homes. The military said 39 cadavers had been recovered but local government units have yet to verify if their deaths were typhoon-related.—AOL, GMA News