Twenty-one major manufacturers of essential goods have voluntarily committed to holding their current prices for the next 30 to 60 days, the Department of Trade and Industry said Friday, as it moved to clarify the scope of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recently signed executive order declaring a state of national energy emergency.
The DTI said the voluntary pledges — covering products such as canned sardines, instant noodles, bottled water, bread, and coffee — were secured through industry cooperation and remove the immediate need for mandatory government price intervention.
The clarification came after some confusion over whether Executive Order No. 110, signed by Marcos, automatically triggered a nationwide price freeze under the Price Act. The DTI said it did not.
“Following the issuance of Executive Order No. 110, which declares a State of National Energy Emergency, the DTI clarifies that an automatic nationwide price freeze under the Price Act (R.A. 7581) is not currently in effect,” the department said in a statement.
Republic Act No. 7581 provides that prices of basic goods are automatically frozen whenever an area is placed under a state of calamity, emergency, martial law, or similar conditions — unless the President specifies otherwise. The DTI’s position is that EO 110 does not meet the threshold that triggers this automatic mechanism.
The order establishes the UPLIFT program — standing for Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport — directing targeted subsidies toward the transport and agriculture sectors in response to global oil supply disruptions linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The DTI said stabilizing logistics costs through UPLIFT is designed to preempt the kind of inflationary pressure that would otherwise require a price freeze.
The agency said current inventory levels for basic necessities remain adequate. “There is no shortage of supply that would justify artificial price spikes,” it said.
Despite the absence of a formal freeze, the DTI said its consumer protection teams have been placed on heightened alert and are actively monitoring compliance with Suggested Retail Price bulletins. Retailers found raising prices by more than 10 percent without justification — or engaging in hoarding — face administrative fines and possible imprisonment, the department warned.No price freeze yet, but DTI warns profiteers of jail time under Marcos energy order
