The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently unveiled a price guide for school supplies ahead of the upcoming school year.
The guide, titled "Gabay sa Pamimili ng School Supplies," is designed to assist consumers in making informed purchasing decisions.
Here are the price ranges for some of the essential school items listed in the guide:
- Notebook: P11.8 - P52
- Pad paper for Grades 1-4: P9.5 - P61
- Intermediate pad paper: P13.8 - P48.75
- Pencils: P11 - P33
- Ballpens: P3 - P33
- Box of crayons with eight colors: P12 (regular) - P65 (jumbo)
- Crayon pack (12-color): P32
- Crayon pack (16-color): P24 - P83
- Crayon pack (24-color): P34 - P114
- Sharpeners: P15 - P69
- Rulers: P16 - P29
- Erasers: P4.5 - P20.
According to the DTI, 68 percent of the listed items, equivalent to 80 out of 117 stock-keeping units (SKUs), maintained the same prices as the previous year.
Additionally, eight percent of the SKUs experienced a price decrease, while 24 percent saw a price increase.
The DTI also advised consumers to inspect the labels on school supplies carefully.
These labels should contain essential information such as the manufacturer's or importer's name and address. For items like notebooks and paper, the number of leaves should also be clearly indicated.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual emphasized the importance of purchasing school supplies from companies that adhere to labeling regulations.
He encouraged consumers to utilize the price guide provided by the DTI when making their purchases.