Palace orders price freeze on construction materials

With the amount of damages to infrastructure reaching billions after typhoon "Pepeng" and tropical storm "Ondoy" pounded Metro Manila and portions of Luzon, Malacañang on Monday ordered that construction materials be placed under price control. Esther Montemayor, information officer of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), told GMANews.TV by phone that the directive stems from the Price Act (Republic Act No. 7581). Under Section 6 of the law, "the prices of basic necessities in an area shall automatically be frozen at their prevailing price whenever the area is declared a disaster area or under state of calamity." The DTI announced President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's orders through an advisory placed on national broadsheets such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Star, and the Manila Bulletin. "Retailers are warned to observe the price ceilings of construction materials to avoid sanctions," read DTI's advisory. Violators will be sanctioned with a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of P1 million, it added. The following items fall under the directive: CEMENT, Portland-Type 1 (40 kg/bag)

• GI sheet (corrugated)
• 0.4 mm with 2125 (Gauge 26x32x8)
• 0.2 mm with Z125 (Gauge 31x32x8)
• Steel bars
• Hollow blocks (non-load bearing)
• Common wire nails (per kilo)

ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES

• Tubular fluorescent lamps (20 watts)
• Compact fluorescent lamps (9 watts)
• Compact fluorescent lamps ( 11 watts)
• Compact fluorescent lamps (15 watts)
• Incandescent lamp (25 watts)
• Starter
• Snap switch
• Tumbler switch
• Fuse-15 amperes
• Fuse-20 amperes
• Fuse-30 amperes
• Fuse-60 amperes
• Ballast-18 watts
• Ballast-20 watts

The price freeze is effective for 60 days starting Monday (October 5), Montemayor said. The directive on prices of construction materials is implemented only in the National Capital Region and in provinces in Region I (Ilocos), Region II (Cagayan), Region III (Central Luzon), Region IV-A (Calabarzon), Region V (Bicol), and in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Other basic commodities Last Friday, the DTI released the following chart on price ceilings for the following items. DTI undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said the department was strictly monitoring the prices of basic goods following Ondoy's aftermath. The National Disaster Coordinating Council's latest situation report on Pepeng (October 5, 4 a.m.) said thousands of houses were damaged in Ilocos Norte. Its latest report on Ondoy pegged the damages to property to P8.327-billion, which consists of P2.743-billion in damages to infrastructure and P5.584 billion damages to agriculture. - GMANews.TV