The Department of Trade and Industry stepped up monitoring of prices of bottled water in the city following reports of jacked up costs as the demand for the commodity increased amid the acute gastroenteritis outbreak in the city.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city received reports of unusual price increases in bottled water and warned individuals and establishments taking advantage of the health emergency for their gain.
DTI Baguio-Benguet Consumer Protection Division Ralph Altiyen said initial random inspection was conducted last Jan. 11 covering four establishments and Jan. 12 for another set of stores. The operations will continue to protect consumers from undue price adjustments.
Altiyen said initial monitoring showed no changes in the prices in the inspected establishments.
“Our monitoring team went to compare the real time prices of bottled water against the prices we gathered last week and early this week. According to some store owners, they haven’t noted any unusual increase on the demand for bottled water that may also affect supplies,” Altiyen said.
Since monitoring cannot cover all establishments and small stores, the DTI and the city government appealed to the public to immediately report any unusual hike in costs to the DTI hotlines 665-3526 and 0917-817-1743. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
