DTI heightens monitoring of school supplies’ prices
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines/23 May 2009 by BP Garcia–The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has intensified its monitoring on the sales of school supplies sold in the different department stores in Zamboanga City as the opening of classes is past-approaching.
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that the opening of class for school year 2009-2010 is in June 1.
Eng’r. Rolando Acuña, provincial director of the DTI, said his personnel has monitored and are continuously monitoring 25 department stores and 380 school products sold in this southern port city.
The monitoring team noted no significant increase in prices of school supplies with some items even selling at lower prices compared to the previous year, Acuña said.
He said his monitoring team will continue to monitor the prices of school materials in the following weeks to ensure that no retailer would take advantage of the season to unjustly raise prices.
He also said the DTI will seek the assistance from the City Mayor’s Office and the Department of Health in future monitoring activities.
He advised the consumers to be watchful of the school items that they buy following reports that various counterfeit products, like fake pencils of known brands are being sold in the market.
“It is of utmost importance that the quality and safety of these school supplies be checked to assure consumers of safe and quality products in the market,” Acuña explained.
He said that non-conformance to existing quality standards and labeling requirements is a violation under the Consumer Act.
“This can be used by a consumer against the school supplies manufacturer or retailer as basis for filing a complaint,” he said.
He said school supplies covered by Philippine National Standards are crayons, wood-cased black lead pencils, pencil sharpeners, writing chalk, bond paper, notebooks, grade school pad, ruler, white board marker, correction fluid, paper clips and glue.
Acuña’s monitoring personnel has been making the rounds of stores all over Zamboanga City during this summer break to make sure that substandard and fake items do not find their way into children’s school bags come June. (BP Garcia, The PhilSouth Angle)
