Price Check! 

Ensuring consumers have access to reasonably-priced basic commodities, the City Government of Valenzuela in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, carried out the “Sweeptember” campaign and inspected the Marulas Public Market and Savemore Marulas, September 27. 

'Sweeptember' is a month-long campaign of the DTI - Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (DTI-FTEB) which aims to monitor the price movement of basic necessities and prime commodities and agricultural basic products during the rainy season. Additionally, this is also to enforce price controls, prevent profiteering, and ensure the availability of basic commodities at reasonable prices to safeguard the consumers’ welfare. 

The team of inspectors were led by DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, Valenzuela Mayor WES Gatchalian, DTI Assistant Secretary Atty. Agaton Teodoro Uvero, and DTI-FTEB Assistant Director Marimel Porciuncula. They checked the Marulas Public Market and the Savemore Marulas and went straight to the basic necessities and commodities such as bread, canned fish, locally-manufactured instant noodles, coffee, salt, laundry and detergent soap, candles, rice, corn, fresh and dried fish, fresh pork, beef and poultry meat, among others. 

In an interview, Secretary Roque commended the market and the grocery inspected in Valenzuela, “When we went to the palengke, everything is okay, the prices are compliant, the timbangan is also correct, and it’s clean, maraming varieties, the palengke in Valenzuela is compliant.” She also reiterated that there will be no price increase for now and will always be in constant communication and consultation with the manufacturers on how their business is doing. 

To date, Valenzuela City is the third local government in the National Capital Region to be visited for comprehensive market monitoring with the new DTI Secretary. 

Meanwhile, the DTI encourages consumers to report retailers, distributors, and manufacturers that sell necessities above the suggested retail prices through the consumer care hotline One-DTI (1-384). While the suggested retail prices of basic necessities and prime commodities are posted in the DTI website and its official social media pages. 

Moreover, to make the visit of Secretary Roque a remarkable one, Mayor WES concluded it with a tour at the newly built Valenzuela City Technological College and were graced by Former DTI Secretary and ValTech's Board Vice Chairman Ramon Lopez and ValTech President Yolanda Gadon.

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