MANILA, Philippines — This year’s celebration of Consumer Welfare Month (CWM), which has for its theme “Sapat, Ligtas, at Abot-Kayang Pagkain para sa Lahat” (Sufficient, Safe, and Affordable Food for All), underscores the basic rights of consumers to just and affordable prices, to safe food free from components/ingredients that are hazardous to health, and protection from dishonest and misleading information, particularly in labeling and ads.

The state enforces compulsory labeling of products sold in the market to enable consumers to get accurate information as to the nature, quality, and quantity of the contents of consumer products.

For food items, the required information such includes an expiration date, whether the product is semi or fully processed, ready to cook or ready to eat, nutritive value, and whether the ingredients used are natural or synthetic.

The yearly celebration of the CWM, which is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1098, issued in September 26, 1997, is led by the Regional Consumers Welfare Committee led by the Department of Trade and Industry. Member-agencies are the National Meat Inspection Service, the Philippine Information Agency, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Commission on Audit, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Capping this year’s activities is an Agri-Food Festival on October 28-30, 2011, at the Baguio Convention Center. This will feature practitioners of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) including organic farmers.

As we celebrate Consumer Welfare Month this year, we should know and exercise our right to choose products that are of high quality and affordable.

And cognizant of the fact that labeling has “the equal ability to misinform, as much as it provides the right information,” we are encouraged to examine whether the price we pay for the items we purchase are worth their cost vis-à-vis the quality, quantity, and safety of the product.