Purchase limits eased for face mask, alcohol, sanitizers – DTI

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Thursday said that rubbing alcohols, sanitizers, disinfecting liquid prodicts, and face masks are still covered by purchase limits, although such limits have since been eased.

 “Lahat ng merong quantity restriction dati, tinanggal na natin except dun sa meron na lang naiwan, apat na produkto: alcohol, sanitizer, disinfecting liquid, at face mask,” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said in an interview with dzBB.

(All quantity restrictions before have been lifted, except for four products, namely alcohol, sanitizer, disinfecting liquid, and face mask.)

Lopez pointed out that a consumer can now purchase up to one box of face masks (50 pieces) compared to the previous purchase limit of five pieces.

For rubbing alcohols, sanitizers, and disinfecting liquids, consumers can buy up to five bottles of less than one-liter containers, and up to three bottles for over one-liter containers.

Lopez noted that the supply of the said products has already normalized.

“Wala nang panic buying. Yun ang importante. Kasi noon, maraming supply pero nagpapanic buying so nagkakaroon ng artificial shortage kahit maraming supply sa factory,” he also said.

(There is no more panic buying. That’s what is important. Before, there was enough supply but the people engaged in panic-buying so there was an artificial shortage of the products even if there is sufficient supply.)

In March, the DTI released Memorandum Circular No. 20-07 to prevent panic-buying and hoarding of essential products amid quarantine measures and the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

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