The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) MIMAROPA enforced a 60-day province-wide price freeze on basic necessities in calamity-stricken Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro, and parts of Palawan and Romblon due to the southwest monsoon or habagat.

Below is the list of areas under the State of Calamity and the effectivity date of the price freeze bulletin:

  • Roxas, Palawan – July 22, 2025
  • Santa Cruz, Occidental Mindoro – July 24, 2025
  • Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro – July 24, 2025
  • Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro – July 24, 2025
  • Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro – July 28, 2025
  • Paluan, Occidental Mindoro – July 28, 2025
  • Oriental Mindoro – July 25, 2025
  • Occidental Mindoro – July 29, 2025
  • Concepcion, Romblon – July 29, 2025

The prices of basic necessities are automatically frozen at their prevailing prices, effective for the duration of the condition that brought about them, but not more than 60 days. The price freeze bulletin is also pursuant to Section 6 of RA 7581 or the Price Act as amended.

Basic necessities under DTI’s jurisdiction include canned fish and other marine products, processed milk (evaporated, condensed, and powdered milk), coffee, laundry/detergent soap, candles, bread (tasty and pandesal), iodized salt, instant noodles, and bottled water.

Since the issuance of the price freeze bulletin, DTI-MIMAROPA’s monitoring teams have been conducting daily monitoring of prices and supply in affected areas to ensure consumer protection and stable access to essential goods until the price and supply situations have stabilized.

In one instance, despite the logistical challenges, representatives from the DTI-MIMAROPA Consumer Protection Division traveled from Metro Manila to the 6th-class municipality of Concepcion, Romblon to carry out price monitoring and enforcement activities following the declaration of a state of calamity. The team also conducted consumer advocacy campaigns aimed at informing and empowering both consumers and local businesses.

Initial reports from the field indicate that supplies of basic goods remain stable and that establishments in key trading areas are complying with the mandated price freeze.

DTI reminds the public that violations of the Price Act are subject to severe penalties, including imprisonment ranging from one to ten years, a fine between ₱5,000 and ₱1,000,000, or both, at the discretion of the court. Additional administrative sanctions may also be imposed. ♦

Date of Release: 07 August 2025