Mayon: No food lack in sight as DTI urges Albayanos to stay calm, quit panic buying

TEMPORARY SHELTER Residents near the 6-kilometer danger zone around the restive Mayon Volcano are taken to a shelter in Barangay Mauraro, Guinobatan, Albay, on June 9 in a mandatory preemptive evacuation initiated by the provincial government as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology continues to monitor the volcanic activity. INQUIRER file photo / MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ruth Castelo on Tuesday urged residents of Albay to stay calm and indulge in panic buying in the wake of Mayon Volcano’s unrest.

Following the province’s LGU’s proclamation of a state of calamity last Sunday, the DTI enforced a 60-day price freeze across the province.

READ: Government agencies gird for possible eruption of Mayon

“Bago magkakaroon ng kalamidad,  tinatawagan natin at ina-advise natin yung malalaking retailers to make sure na kumpleto ang supply nila so nagre-replenish po talaga sila sa lugar na may kalamidad para sigurado pong hindi maubusan so wala tayong pangamba, wala po tayong worry consumers natin kung mauubusan sila, so wala pong dahilan na mag-panic buying po sila,” said Castelo in the Laging Handa Public Hearing.

(Before there is a calamity, we call and advise big retailers to make sure that their supplies are complete in places hit by cla to make sure that they do not run out, so we have no fear, we have no worries for our consumers that they will run out, so there is no reason to panic buy.)

With the ongoing unrest in Taal Volcano in Batangas and Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Occidental, Castelo said that a price freeze would only be implemented if the LGUs declare a state of calamity.

“Ang price freeze po is based on the declaration of a state of calamity ng isang lugar. So hanggang hindi sila mag-declare ng ganun, hindi magiging effective ang price freeze,” said Castelo.

(The price freeze is based on the declaration of a state of calamity of a place. So if they do not declare a state of calamity there, a price freeze will not be effective.)

Mayon Volcano remains at Alert Level 3, with the permanent danger zone expanded to a seven-kilometer radius. Mass evacuation has been ongoing, with thousands of people forced to leave their homes.

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