Prices of school supplies lower

CEBU, Philippines - With the opening of classes just a few weeks away, the Department of Trade and Industry yesterday announced an 11.18 percent decrease in prices of basic school supplies, as of May 7.

Through its Suggested Retail Price  advisories, DTI guides consumers in canvassing prices and reminds them to be vigilant in buying supplies.

DTI -7 Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation Division Chief Zaide Bation said that after a discussion with manufacturers, importers, retailers, and other consumer groups, they agreed to a lowered SRP for school supplies.

She urged the public to shop early and take advantage of this “rare decrease.”

She said those found selling above the SRPs should present a letter to explain why they could not sell within SRP levels.

Bation said that if they find the reason unacceptable, violators could be charged for overpricing and fined an amount of not more than P150,000.

On Monday, DTI would start monitoring establishments and enforcing SRPs.

According to the DTI, prices of an 80-leaf composition notebook, writing notebook, and spiral notebooks should range from P10 to P14.75, depending on the brand and type of paper used.

An 80-leaf pad paper for grades one to four, on the other hand, should cost P6.00 to P28.75 each, while an 80-leaf intermediate pad paper is priced at P11.50 to P22.50.

For an eight-piece crayon set, prices should be P11.25 to P19.75, while those with 16 colors and the 24 pieces per set are P32 to P51.75.

Intermediate papers should be sold at P14 to P29.75, regular-size pencils at P9.50 to P19.75, and jumbo-size pencils at P24.75 to P30.75.

Aside from the SRP, the DTI has also released its shopper’s guide in buying school supplies for the new school year, which would start less than a month from now.

DTI advised consumers that when buying supplies, one should consider the quality of the product.

For notebooks and pad papers, one should check the number of pages, type (book or bond), size, and the weight of the paper.

Buyers should also mull over the name and address of manufacturers, the converter or importer, brand name or trademark, and the country where the product was made.

When buying crayons, consumers were likewise advised to check if there’s a ‘non-toxic’ label on the packaging to ensure that the product has been scrutinized and that it passed the standard toxicity level set by the Food and Drugs Administration.

Consumers should also consider the actual number of pieces in the box, the name and the address of the manufacturer.

For pencils, one should consider the hardness symbol (1, 2, 3) while the ballpens are classified with its tip (fine, medium, among others).

The DTI will be closely monitoring the prices of school supplies until the end of June. Bation advised those who have complaints to show up in their office.— /RHM (FREEMAN)