DAVAO CITY (PNA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) can now lodge a complaint before the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) against traders of agricultural products found violating Republic Act (RA) 7581, otherwise known as The Price Act in the Davao Region.

DTI City Director Teolulo Pasawa said the DA and DTI signed a joint administrative order to closely coordinate in addressing unscrupulous traders jacking up prices beyond what is provided by the law.

Previously, DTI could not act on violations of the price act committed by traders of products that fall under the jurisdiction of the DA.

With the recent arrangement between the DTI and DA, Pasawa said traders will now think twice about continuing their anomalous act of deliberately increasing prices.

He said the DTI will act on complaints that will be endorsed to the agency by DA regarding price act violators.

DTI and DA entered into the arrangement in December last year.
Pasawa said that after the Christmas season, prices of basic commodities have normalized except for sugar.

Earlier, an official from the DA said high export demand triggered the current price hike in sugar.

Pasawa said cement prices have also remained high, now P10 higher per bag compared to last month.

The manufacturers claimed that high cost of inputs pushed them to increase the price of cement.