SCHOOL ESSENTIALS. School items displayed at the Metro Store in Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City on Wednesday (July 24, 2024). The establishment is a partner of the Department of Trade and Industry -Negros Occidental for the "Balik Eskwela Diskwento" caravan that offers discounted prices of school supplies and other essentials until Aug. 31. (PNA Bacolod photo)
BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Occidental advised consumers to be discerning in the purchase of school supplies for the new school year, considering the price guide released ahead of the opening of classes on July 29.
Reginald Hudierez, senior trade and industry development specialist of the Consumer Protection Unit (CPU), said on Wednesday that before deciding to buy, better compare the prices first to get the best deals.
"Go to different stores, check the price. Don't rush into buying. Although price-wise, the differences are not really big," he said in a media briefing.
The DTI price guide for school supplies covers 173 items sold in retail stores, including specific brands of notebooks such as writing, composition, spiral, and yarn, as well as pad papers for Grades 1 to 4 and intermediate.
Others include pencils, ballpoint pens, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, and rulers.
Monitoring showed that 68 percent of the listed school items have had no price changes since last year.
Prices of some eight percent even decreased while prices of 24 percent of the items listed increased due to higher manufacturing costs.
Based on this year's price guide, prices of notebooks range from PHP11.80 to PHP52 for writing and composition (80 leaves), PHP12 to PHP47 for spiral, and PHP12.70 to PHP42 for yarn.
Pad papers cost from PHP9.50 to PHP61 for Grades 1-4 (80 leaves) and PHP13.80 to PHP48.75 for intermediate pads.
Pencils can be bought per piece from PHP11 to PHP17 and per pack from PHP15 to PHP22.50.
Ballpens are priced from PHP3 to PHP21 each, while the price per pack of three pieces ranges from PHP8 to PHP33.
Crayons cost PHP12 to PHP114, depending on the number of colors per box; erasers, PHP4.50 to PHP20; sharpeners, PHP15 to PHP69; and rulers, PHP16 to PHP29.
Kenneth Villarosa, senior trade and industry development specialist also under the CPU, said so far, they have not received complaints about unreasonable prices of school supplies.
"It is a good indication that the stores follow the price guide," he added.
In Bacolod, the DTI-Negros Occidental has partnered with Metro Department Store for the "Balik Eskwela Diskwento" caravan that offers discounted prices of school supplies and other essentials until Aug. 31. (PNA)
