The Department of Trade and Industry and four other government agencies have issued a joint administrative order outlining amendments to Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act.
Joint AO No. 13-1, which was also issued by the Departments of Agriculture, Health, Environment and Natural Resources, and Energy, included new items on the list of basic goods and prime commodities.
The order expanded “the definition or coverage of the term basic necessities to now include potable water in bottles and containers, fresh fruits, locally manufactured instant noodles, household liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene; and of the term prime commodities to now include livestock and fishery feeds, while excluding fresh fruit, noodles, swine and cattle feeds from its list.”
These lists are critical as these become the basis for a price freeze, for example, when an area is proclaimed or declared a disaster area or under a state of calamity.
Violators of the price freeze may be liable to pay an administrative fine of up to P1 million.
Based on the joint AO, the basic necessities under the DA are: rice; corn; root crops; fresh, dried fish and other marine products; fresh pork, beef and poultry meat; fresh eggs; fresh milk; fresh vegetables; fresh fruits; sugar; and cooking oil.
For the DOH, this list named drugs and medicines included in the current edition of the Philippine National Drug Formulary Essential Drugs List, while for the DENR, the list includes firewood and charcoal.
Under the DTI, basic necessities are bread; canned fish and other marine products; potable water in bottles and containers; processed milk; locally manufactured instant noodles; coffee; salt; laundry soap; detergent; and candies. At the DOE, the list named only household LPG and kerosene.