‘Be Vigilant, Check SRPs’ DTI warns consumers reprices of school supplies

CEBU, Philippines — The school season is back very soon.

This early, the Department of Trade and Industry is reminding consumers to be vigilant when it comes to prices when they shop for school supplies.

Starting this week through next month, demand for school items is expected to rise as most return to schooling in June.

Retailers, for their part, have started displaying school items in their shops as demand starts to pick up already.

Most in-demand items include notebooks, writing pads, crayons, ballpens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners.

Esperanza Melgar, DTI's Cebu provincial director, said the public may check the agency's suggested retail prices (SRP) for school items to guide them in shopping.

The DTI is yet to publicly release the 2019 SRP for school products on its website www.dti.gov.ph/e-presyo.

The price guide would particularly guide last-minute shoppers.

She said the SRP list serves as basis for consumers in comparing different brands and deterrent for overpricing.

Consumers are reminded to carefully read the labels of these products for toxic or hazardous ingredients.

Labeling regulations for school items require markings such as number of pages, weight, size, hardness (for pencils), classification (for ballpens), brand name, trademark, manufacturer’s name and address.

DTI reminded sellers that school supplies --  notebooks, pad paper, pencils, pens and crayons -- should have proper markings such as brand name, trademark, number of pages for paper products, type, size and grammage of paper, and name and address of manufacturer or importer.

Crayons must also have the marking “non-toxic” aside from the trademark, brand name and manufacturer’s name. 

Consumers may take advantage of DTI's Diskwento Caravans in all provinces that offers school items at discounted prices to monitor school supply prices and ensure compliance by manufacturers and importers with specific quality standards and labeling requirements.