DTI: Prices of some Noche Buena items go up months before Christmas

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Friday said the prices of some Noche Buena items already increased three months before the Christmas celebration.

“Na-observe na nga natin this week na tumaas na ‘yung presyo ng ibang produkto like ham, mayonnaise, pasta. Medyo tumaas na sila ng presyo,”  DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said at a public briefing.

(We observed this week that the price of some products like ham, mayonnaise, and pasta already increased.)

She said around 20 manufacturers have notified DTI that they already increased the price of their products.

She added the DTI advised manufacturers that the increase should not exceed 10% of the price to ensure that customers will still be able to afford the Noche Buena items.

Meanwhile, Castelo discouraged the public against buying Christmas lights that did not undergo the assessment of the DTI.

She said Christmas lights cost around P300 to P400 as she warned the public against buying those that cost only P50 to P100 as these might be substandard.

Castelo advised customers to check for the Philippine Standard (PS) Quality or Safety Mark as well as the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) Sticker to determine if the items were approved by the DTI.

“Ito po 'yung mga mura na hindi dumadaan sa certification process ng DTI. It causes fire. Delikado ang paggamit niyan,” she said.

(These cheap Christmas lights did not undergo the certification process of the DTI. It causes fire. These are dangerous to use.)—AOL, GMA News