DTI-ARMM steps in to curb food shortage, rice price inflation after fire in Sulu

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has stepped in to curb what it tagged as “a massive price inflation of rice and shortage of food supply” in the island province of Sulu. In a statement last week, the DTI-ARMM said price ceilings have been set and monitoring activities are ongoing through its Sulu office in coordination with the Sulu Provincial Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) and the local government. “Recently, Malaysian rice traders who have sold rice higher than the normal price due to the closure of backdoor trade were advised to strictly observe the price ceiling set by the Sulu Provincial LPCC,” DTI-ARMM said. It also urged consumers to report “abusive traders” to the Rice Price Control Task Force at telephone number 0916-359-3394. A fire on July 24, considered the worst on the island since the 1970s, affected about 26,000 residents in the capital Jolo. The damage is estimated at P35 million with around 3,000 houses destroyed.