The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has officially implemented an automatic 60-day nationwide price freeze on all basic necessities following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s declaration of a state of national calamity.
The move, effective immediately, is a swift government response to protect consumers from profiteering and hoarding amid the widespread devastation caused by Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi).
The price freeze took effect after President Marcos approved the proposal to declare a state of national calamity on Thursday, November 6.
In a statement released on Friday, the DTI, which chairs the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC), confirmed that the measure is now in place and will remain active for 60 days unless the President orders an early lifting of the declaration.
The DTI assured the public that its priority is to maintain market stability and adequate supply in the coming months. “The DTI is working round-the-clock with manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to ensure sufficient and steady stock of basic necessities and prime commodities,” the department stated, promising continuous coordination to stabilize the market during this critical period.
To enforce compliance with the mandated price freeze, the DTI has mobilized all its regional and provincial offices, placing them on a heightened alert. Personnel are tasked with actively monitoring markets, checking price tags, and ensuring that no merchants take advantage of the crisis by imposing unwarranted price hikes or hoarding essential items in typhoon-affected areas and across the entire country.
The national calamity declaration was deemed necessary after the extensive damage reports submitted by disaster response bodies.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that Typhoon Tino has severely affected approximately 635,565 families, equating to about 2,258,782 individuals across eight regions of the Philippines.