DTI to release Noche Buena price guide

MANILA, Philippines — As the Christmas season is fast approaching, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is hoping to release its Noche Buena price guide to help consumers shopping during the holidays.

In a Viber message to The STAR, DTI Consumer Protection Group officer-in-charge Assistant Secretary Mary Jean Pacheco said the DTI is looking to release the price guide soon.

“Hopefully soon – we want to complete the manufacturer’s SRP (suggested retail price) and the price guide,” she said.

In a television interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon yesterday, Pacheco said that the DTI has already set a meeting with manufacturers of Noche Buena products.

Pacheco said the DTI has talked to meat processors who manufacture Christmas ham, noting that they have posted production cost increases of 15 to 20 percent.

However, she stressed that the meat processors decided to implement a very minimal price increase of zero to four percent, for Filipinos to be able to enjoy their Noche Buena celebrations.

Based on DTI’s monitoring, Pacheco said not all the prices of ham have increased.

“You know there are so many kinds of ham, like around 30 I think. So there’s so many kinds of ham. Not all hams have price increases based on our monitoring. That’s what we saw when we collected the manufacturers’ SRP, not all have increased prices,” she said in Filipino.

She urged consumers to buy Noche Buena products that suit their budget and taste.