Prices of school supplies monitored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Iloilo) were found to be within the suggested retail price (SRP) or even lower.

DTI-Iloilo Director Felisa Judith L. Degala said the new SRP list was released on August 12 and a copy of the bulletin should be displayed in stores to serve as a guide for consumers.

“There are other brands, which are not (on) the list but their prices are still within the SRP,” she said.

Based on their monitoring, the price of a writing notebook with 80 leaves of a brand included in the SRP list was sold at P12.50, lower than the P17.50 suggested price for those with a generic design and P18 for those with character design.

For writing pads for Grades 1 to 4, the prices in the establishment range from P14 to P21 against the SRP pegged at P6 to P24 while SRP prices for intermediate pads are from P22.50 to P30 but the brands available in establishments cost between P16.50 and P19.75.

The SRP of pencils is from P8.25 to P13.25 but in actual monitoring, it is cheaper at PHP6 while a ballpoint pen costs P4.75 to P9 in the SRP list but in the market, it is between P5 and P7.

Degala likewise urged parents to be vigilant consumers by being meticulous in checking the brand, trademark, manufacturer, and specifications of the products they need.

If they opt to buy online, they should make sure to purchase from legitimate sellers by looking at their business permit, registration, address, and other relevant information.

“That is one way they can protect themselves. Online and physical stores have their after-sales service,” Degala added.

Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 (Western Visayas) will deploy 1,100 personnel to various strategic areas, such as terminals, transportation hubs, vicinities of schools, and main thoroughfares effective Monday morning to ensure a safe and orderly opening of classes in the region.

They will be augmented by a still undetermined number of force multipliers, such as barangay officials and village security groups.

PRO-6 spokesperson Lt. Col. Arnel Solis, in a text message, said police assistance desks would be put up, while mobile, foot, and detective patrollers would be deployed.

PNA