Stressing he has more pressing issues to attend to in the local scene, particularly the volatile prices of basic and prime commodities, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila is not attending the 7th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva.

Favila told reporters over the weekend the country would be represented by Philippines Permanent Representative to the WTO Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee and DTI Assistant Secretary for international relations Jose Antonio Buencamino during the three-day conference, which opens Monday Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 in Geneva.

“There are no negotiations in this ministerial so I decided to stay put because prices of commodities have become erratic that I have to orchestrate all efforts to address this more pressing need,” Favila said.

Favila has already asked Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to implement the suggested reference price or a range of prices for agricultural products.

Yap has complied and is now implementing a price range or SRP for agricultural commodities to guide consumers. Yap has also convened a meeting with pork and chicken producers to ensure prices are stable.

Favila has blamed the increased demand to the behavior of prices and not due to the lifting of the price controls. The onset of the Christmas season has also put some pressures on demand and pricing.

“When I made market visits, I don’t look at the processed goods only but also the agricultural products and indeed prices are erratic,” he noted.

Prices of processed goods, however, in the supermarkets have remained within the SRP and Favila has made a plea to supermarkets not to peg their prices at the high-end of the SRP but at least 20 centavos lower.

The good thing though, he said, is that there is no problem when it comes to supplies.

“If they will not behave then I will not hesitate to reimpose the price ceiling,” Favila said.

Meantime, Favila has given instructions to the Philippine delegation to “participate, listen and watch out for surprises.”

“We should maintain our position and that there should be no surprises from developed economies,” he said.

DTI Senior Undersecretary Thomas G. Aquino also said that the Philippines team should help keep the goals of the Doha Development Agenda alive for 2010 negotiations.

“They should ensure there will be no surprises that would depart from the Philippine understanding of the situation in each of the nine negotiating areas. There should be no change in our position on agriculture, non-agricultural market access and that balance has to be ensured between liberalization commitments and flexibilities for a developing country like the Philippines,” Aquino stressed.

This year’s Geneva Ministerial is expected to affirm the role of this multilateral trading body that it has remained committed to its goals.