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Prices of holiday food items up slightly a week before Christmas
By CARMELA G. LAPEÑA, GMANews.TV
Prices of locally-made holiday food items have gone up slightly – just a week before Christmas – but the increase remained within “acceptable" levels, a group of Philippine supermarkets said.
Suggested retail prices for some Christmas food items 800g pear shaped ham P 210-235 1kg jamon de bola P 269.75-300 1kg spaghetti P 62-92 1kg elbow mac P 77.85-104 1kg fruit cocktail P 104 1kg spag sauce P 62-78.60 185g cheese P 64 pesos 220 ml mayo not P 32.75-66
“Noche Buena" food items such as ham, cheese, and spaghetti have risen by four percent after consumers were prompted to buy in bigger quantities and a minor shortage was reported, the Philippine Association of Supermarkets Inc. (PASI) said. The price increase “won’t be felt much," PASI secretary general Federico Ples said. Ples said that while they have encouraged smaller families – or those with two to three children – to buy items in smaller quantities, many still insist on buying in big amounts. He said many of those who buy in big quantities expected surprise visits from relatives during the holidays. “We encouraged smaller families to buy in smaller quantities but it is Filipino tradition for relatives to drop by unannounced, so they still buy in big quantities)," he said. Ples also reported a slight shortage in chicken, pork and beef, but added the shortage was not serious enough to affect prices. In the meantime, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which sets commodities’ suggested retail prices (SRP), said that the reported cost hike remains at “acceptable" levels. As long as the price hike falls within the previously-approved SRP published last November, the public should not worry, DTI undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya told GMANews.TV in an interview. In an earlier interview on Unang Hirit, Maglaya said that prices will most likely remain the same until the year ends. Nonetheless, the DTI encouraged buyers to buy as early as possible in order to avail of the lowest prices. "We remain confident that manufacturers and retailers will not make any last minute changes to the prices," she said. - RJAB, Jr./GMANews.TV Find out your candidates' profile
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