Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez has assured of enough supply of goods during the holiday season amid the return of consumer confidence and further reopening of most economic sectors at higher operating capacity.

Lopez said that consumer goods, particularly Noche Buena items are sufficient. “There is no shortage in supply,” stressed Lopez citing that there has been always enough supply during Christmas season and even during the pandemic.

What is important, he said, is continuous flow of goods by ensuring that logistics and cargoes are not hampered to ensure delivery of goods to the markets. Even the short supply of pork, which has been affected because of the African Swine Flu, has already been addressed through importation.

Lopez also reiterated that more than half of 192 SKUs (shelf keeping units) of Noche Buena items have maintained their prices and some have even reduced their prices.

This means, he said, consumers will have lots of choices depending on their budget.

DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo also said that the number of Noche Buena products that have not increased prices have gone up to 21 brands from 12 initially.

Castelo said this followed after Lopez wrote to Noche Buena products manufacturers to appeal to their senses to hold off any price hikes.

Lopez also said that DTI will only publish and promote Noche Buena brands to consumers that do not hike prices.

In the case of bread, Lopez said that the Philippine Baking Industry Group (PhilBaking), a group of industrial bread makers, have decided to maintain prices for Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal at t P35 and P21.50, respectively.

With the further relaxation to Alert Level 2, Lopez said that most establishment have gone back to their operations. In fact, based on the DTI data, establishments have reported that they are already operating at over 80 percent of their branches. Revenues are also at over 80 percent of their revenues pre-pandemic.

“So, business is back,” he said.

Under Alert Level 3, restaurants, spas, nails and salon, barbershops, arcades and cinemas, gyms, carwash, among others, are allowed up to 50 percent indoor operating capacity, plus additional 10 percent if they have a Safety Seal certification. Depending on their local government units and the area where they operate, they are also allowed 20 percent more operating capacity or a maximum of 80 percent operating capacity.

Establishments have also the prerogative to require their customers to wear face shields or not.

On calls to limit the age of kids allowed in malls, Lopez said the Inter Agency Task Force will have to study this recommendation noting that the reported young kid who contacted COVID-19 has not been proven that the kid got it from his mall visit.

He said that kids account for 40 to 50 percent of parents’ total expenses when they go out to malls with their children.