High demand for N95 face masks, as well as regular surgical face masks, pushed prices up in Manila drugstores following the ashfall from Taal volcano. Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan vows to go after unscrupulous sellers of the masks. / INQUIRER.net STOCK IMAGE
MANILA, Philippines — Prices of N95 face mask have reportedly began to soar to as much as P200 per piece in Manila as residents suffer from ash fall due to the volcanic activities of the Taal Volcano, Vice Mayor Honey Lacuña-Pangan said Monday.
Lacuña-Pangan said her office received complaints that the price of N95 mask has increased from the original price of P25 to P30 per piece.
She said some are reportedly selling the item to as high as P200 per piece following Taal Volcano’s eruption.
She added that she had ordered the Manila Bureau of Permits and Manila Licenses Office to inspect stores selling the said type of mask.
“Huwag naman po natin gamitin ang panahon na ito para manamantala. Tandaan po natin, delikado po sa kalusugan nila ito (Let us not use this time to take advantage of others. Let us remember that this [ash fall] is dangerous to their health),” Lacuña-Pangan said in a statement.
“Ayaw ko pong makakita ng pasyenteng may asthma na itinakbo sa ospital dahil lang hindi siya makahanap o makabili ng mask (I don’t want to see someone who has asthma being brought to hospitals just because he was not able to find or buy a mask),” she also said.
In other parts of Metro Manila, some stores run out of face masks on Sunday following the ash fall from Taal Volcano’s eruption. Alert level 4 remains hoisted, which means hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours or days.
Health practitioners have recommended the use of N95 masks, instead of regular surgical face masks, to prevent the inhalation of smaller dust particles, like the ash spewed by the volcano.