FOUR days before the start of class on June 4, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Occidental noted a stable supply of school items among commercial establishments in the province, especially in Bacolod City.
Reginald Hudierez, senior trade and industry development specialist of DTI-Negros Occidental, said on Thursday, May 31, they have not monitored any dwindling scenario in terms of supplies of various school products.
Hudierez said there is even surge in supply, especially of notebooks, as some establishments are still selling their previous stocks.
"School items, unlike food, are not spoiled so it is normal for the establishments to augment their current stocks with old ones," he added.
With steady supply, the DTI said there is no reason for the public to do panic buying.
They can buy anytime, or even in July, as stable supply is still expected even months after the class opening, Hudierez said.
He reiterated that school requirements are normally given to students during the first week of the class, thus, continuous buying of school items is still expected even after the start of class.
The abundant supply also contributes to lower prices of the school items.
For the notebook, for instance, DTI-Negros Occidental has monitored 40 leaves notebook sold at P5 per piece.
Such selling price is even lower to the suggested retail prices (SRPs) set by the agency for selected brands of school supplies.
Hudierez earlier told VoxPop Bacolod that local stores are still compliant to SRPs just like the previous years.
Based on the "Gabay sa Pamimili ng School Supplies" issued by DTI Central Office last May 15, prices of 80 leaves of composition and writing notebooks range from P12.20 to P34 depending on brand.
Spiral notebooks cost P12.20 to P34.75 while promo pack prices range from P129.75 to P164.75 also depending on brand.
For pad papers of various brands, the price ranges from P6 to P11 per 80 leaves. Writing and intermediate cost P11 to P42.75 and P12.20 to P33.75, respectively.
Three pieces per pack of pencil should cost P12 to P37.50 while ballpen has SRPs of P5 to P30.75 per piece, also depending on brand.
Other products like crayons cost P12 to P69.75 per box; eraser - P7.50 to P14.75 per piece; sharpener - P8 to P34.75 per piece; and ruler - P9.76 to P32.75 per piece.
DTI-Negros Occidental earlier told consumers, especially parents and students, to be wiser in buying school supplies to avoid incurring heavy expenses and overspending.
Aside from prices, buyers are also urged to prioritize quality of the products.
To ensure quality, Hudierez said they should make sure that school items are free from defects.
"They should balance the price and quality," he said, adding that the public should obtain the right value for the products they purchase.*
