The Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera Administrative Region (DTI-CAR) on Monday tapped the public to help monitor the prices of school supplies and report unscrupulous businesses.

“Help monitor the prices of commodities (to make sure) that they are in accordance with the prescribed rules and guidelines for products,” it said in an advisory.

DTI-CAR director Juliet Lucas said the department has issued a list of suggested retail prices (SRP) of basic school supplies and their quality, which the public can use as a guide when buying the items.

There are 173 stock-keeping units of school supplies available from basic categories of notebooks, pad papers, pencils, ballpoint pens, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, and others.

DTI-CAR issued the advisory as classes for public schools for the school year 2024-2025 are scheduled to start on July 29.

Relatively, DTI-CAR assistant director Samuel Gallardo said their provincial offices are doing the rounds of different shops to check businesses’ compliance on the SRP, a regular activity before the opening of classes. (PNA)