After ‘Sendong’, price ceiling pushed in Northern Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Regional Development Council (RDC) has asked President Aquino to impose a ceiling on the prices of basic commodities in Northern Mindanao while families who were severely affected by flood brought about by Tropical Storm “Sendong” here and in Iligan City are slowly recovering.

“We are not yet done with the effects of Sendong,” said Linda Boniao, acting regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The President ordered a 60-day freeze on prices of commodities to help families cope with the region’s worst flooding on Dec. 20 last year. The price moratorium ended yesterday.

On Friday, the RDC, chaired by Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz, met and passed a resolution seeking a ceiling on the prices of specific basic goods. Mayors and other officials of this city and Iligan also attended the meeting.

A formal recommendation will be undertaken by the region’s Local Price Monitoring Council headed by Cruz and Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente Emano.

Boniao acknowledged that prices had not returned to normal levels after the freeze. She said she expected prices to go up because of high demand for purified water, construction materials and other items.

She said that only the National Price Council could decide on extending the price freeze. Ryan Rosauro, Inquirer Mindanao