Rice retailers allegedly mark up prices after DTI inspectors leave

The Department of Trade and Industry urged the public to report rice retailers who marked up their prices after inspectors leave their area.

According to a Tuesday Unang Balita report by Kent Abrigana of GMA Regional TV Davao, the DTI-Pangasinan received multiple reports of such mark-ups.

“Pagkatapos daw umikot ang monitoring team, after an hour daw, ay nilagyan niya (ang rice retailer) ng panibagong presyo ang kaniyang paninda. Instead of P41, naging P42,” said DTI-Pangasinan Director Natalia Dalaten.

(After the monitoring team completes its inspections, they say after an hour, the rice retailer puts in new prices on his goods. Instead of P41, it becomes P42.)

According to the DTI, rice prices were based on the quality of the rice -   40% of grains are crushed in the P41/kilo regular milled rice, while only 20% of grains are crushed in the P45/kilo well-milled rice.

"Please, kung ganoon po ang situation na nakita po ninyo, kung pwede lang, picturan po ninyo, and then kunin ang pangalan ng store at yung owner po. Para meron tayong basehan ng violation slip," added Dalaten.

(Please, if you come across this situation, if possible, take a picture and note down the store and owner so we would a basis to issue a violation slip.)

Meanwhile, DTI-Pangasinan submitted a list of 385 rice retailers who needed to be screened to avail of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s financial assistance. — Jiselle Casucian/DVM, GMA Integrated News