DTI assures stable prices, sufficient supply of basic goods, bottled water amid ‘super’ El Niño threat

MANILA — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) assured that there is no price increase for basic necessities and prime commodities, including bottled water, amid the looming threat of the ‘super’ El Niño.

Trade Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque said there have been no requests from manufacturers to hike prices for now.

“For now, wala pang request for price increase so the prices are stable now and we don’t have any price increase for basic necessities,” she said in a chance interview ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit at the grand opening of global logistics company United Parcel Service (UPS) Clark International Air Hub in Pampanga on Thursday, October 15.

The trade chief also assured sufficient supply of basic goods, including bottled water, for now despite the anticipated drought brought about by ‘super’ El Niño.

She further urged the public not to panic and hoard.

“I went to one manufacturing plant. They produce 65,000 bottles an hour and they have 200 manufacturing plants. So again, they assured us also that there is enough supply so there’s no need to panic and there’s no need to hoard,” she said.

Asked about the prices and supply of water pails, Aldeguer-Roque said it is not part of their scope of monitoring.

“Hindi po mino-monitor ng DTI ‘no. What we monitor is the basic necessities and prime commodities,” the trade chief said.

 However, in a Palace press conference Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the DTI and the Department of the Interior and Local Government would monitor the prices of water buckets and drums to prevent overpricing and hoarding.

In a press briefing on his last day in Singapore, Marcos Jr. said that as part of the public information campaign for ‘Super’ El Niño, the government will be calling on the public to buy water buckets for rainwater collection and filtration.