“Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear” is a familiar line in a Christmas song.
Every Christmas season, Filipinos across the country celebrate either with spaghetti pasta or pancit noodles their Noche Buena.
Laban Konsyumer, a non-stock and non-profit that advcates consumer protection and education announced advised the ublic that there are expected price hikes up to P55 in Noche Buena on almost all products this year. This is due to the unabated inflation which would continue to affect the Christmas food items.
The consumer group said, there would be around 100 plus Noche Buena products from among the 216 listed with suggested retail price (SRP) have gone up this year as against last year. It also mentioned that 53 goods retained their prices and four rolled back, while 17 items were added on the list and three were removed.
Furthermore, the consumer advocates said price that there would be increases on the price of ham range from P5 to P38.75, fruit cocktails from P2.25 to P10.75. As inevitable, the prices of cheese reportedly went up also from P1.90 to P18.10, and sandwich spread, P0.25 to P9.80. But the queso de bola (Edam cheese) posted the highest increase of up to P55; and the mayonnaise from P0.30 to P25.75.
Other products that have price increase are pasta noodles all variants and pancit noodles all variants. The spaghetti sauce, creamer, and tomato sauce have also price increase.
The attribution on the price increase is due to the price increase in all flour-based products, such as pasta spaghetti and elbow salad macaroni, pancit noodles and other related products. But prices on other non floor products or products not related to Christmas holiday celebration remained stable and have minimal increase.
Meanwhile, Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo validated that most of Noche Buena products with SRP increased prices. But she noted some brands remained the same, while others even implemented rollbacks.
“The SRP on Noche Buena products act as a price guide for the consumers in celebration of the Christmas season. These are not considered as basic necessities and prime commodities as defined in the Price Act,” Castelo said.
“While some of the items in the list increased their SRP, prices of other products remained the same and some decreased,” she added.
Castelo explained, “The demand increases toward December, but consumers can rest assured that prices of products in the Noche Buena products SRP list have been vetted and will remain until the end of the Christmas season.”
