DTI Releases Noche Buena Price Guide; Trade and Industry Chief Urges Consumers to Compare Products and Exercise Right to Choose

MAKATI CITY–On 22 November 2023, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has released this year’s Noche Buena Price Guide for the information and guidance of consumers in light of the upcoming holiday season.   

“One of the Department’s mandates is to promote consumer rights and responsibilities. During this holiday season, we are highlighting consumer’s right to choose, and the responsibility for critical awareness, specifically the responsibility to compare prices. As such, the DTI published the Noche Buena Price Guide, urging consumers to consider all available options for their Noche Buena needs. Through this, we are giving our consumers the options to compare and choose the products that suit their budget and taste,’’ Secretary Fred Pascual said. 

Currently, the price guide has 240 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) from 22 Noche Buena manufacturers. The Noche Buena list consists of 12 categories: Ham, Fruit Cocktail, Cheese, Keso de Bola, Mayonnaise, Sandwich Spread, Pasta/Spaghetti Noodles including, Elbow and Salad Macaroni, Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce, and All-Purpose Cream.  

This year’s Noche Buena Price Guide features tips for consumers and highlights SKUs with no change in or have decreased prices.  A total of 21 SKUs decreased their prices while 34 had no price change.   

For this year, the prices of ham ranges from PHP169.00 to PHP898.50; queso de bola from PHP210.00 to PHP445.00; fruit cocktail from PHP57.72 to PHP293.86; cheese from PHP47.15 to PHP420.00; mayonnaise from PHP24.70 to PHP245.85; all-purpose cream from PHP36.00 to PHP6.00 sandwich spread from PHP27.00 to PHP263.60; pasta/spaghetti from PHP25.50 to PHP113.00 elbow macaroni from PHP23.00 to PHP124.00; tomato sauce from PHP15.50 to PHP92.25; salad macaroni from PHP36.50 to PHP123.00 and spaghetti sauce from PHP23.55 to PHP103.00.  

Based on several meetings of DTI officials with manufacturers, they committed to keeping these prices effective until Media Noche this year. 

Further, consumers are also urged to watch out for discounts, promo deals, and giveaways to get the best value for their money. 

The 2023 Noche Buena Price Guide may be accessed on the DTI website. 

For consumer-related concerns and queries, you may send an email to ConsumerCare@dti.gov.ph or reach us through the One-DTI (1-384) Hotline. 

DTI Inspects Price and Supply of Noche Buena Items, BNPCs in QC Supermarkets

The Department of Trade and Industry’s Consumer Protection Group inspected the prices and supply of noche buena items and basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPC) in three Quezon City supermarkets on Monday, 20 December 2021.

DTI-CPG Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo and DTI-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Assistant Director Atty. Marimel D. Porciuncula led a monitoring team not only to ensure that there are enough stocks of BNPCs and Christmas food products this holiday season, but also to check if retailers follow the suggested retail price (SRP) as published by the DTI.

“It’s great to see that some products are being offered in a much lower price than our current SRP, that’s why we encourage the suppliers to double the delivery of noche buena products to the retailers until the end of the holiday season so consumers can have ample supply for their shopping needs,” said DTI-CPG Undersecretary Castelo.

According to the report, all three supermarkets were found to be following the SRP for their displayed products. However, one establishment was found to be lacking necessary price tags on some of their products, which resulted in the issuance of a Show Cause Order (SCO).

Pursuant to Article 81 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines or Republic Act No. 7394, "It shall be unlawful to offer any consumer product for retail sale to the public without an appropriate price tag, label, or marking publicly displayed to indicate the price of each article and said products shall not be sold at a price higher than that stated therein and without discrimination to all buyers. Further, price tags must be written clearly and legibly to prevent overpricing and unjust trade.

“In case there is an initial finding of violation, such as lack of price tags, it is part of administrative due process, that the establishment is directed to submit a written explanation within the prescribed period and if the establishment fails to do so, that’s the time we will file a formal charge against them for violating the Consumer Act of the Philippines,” DTI-CPG Undersecretary Castelo explained.

To see the list of noche buena products and its corresponding SRP, please follow this link: www.dti.gov.ph/konsyumer/e-presyo/. Further, the DTI encourages the consumers to be more attentive to undue price adjustments and illegal acts of price manipulation from retailers. Call 1-DTI (1-384) or send consumer complaints to consumercare@dti.gov.ph.

Christmas Feast Ideas That You'll Love

There are two traditional feasts that Filipino families often look forward to during Christmastime: the Christmas Eve Noche Buena and the one that follows on the 25th itself, which is often held as part of a festive family reunion. Either way, expect those in charge of preparing the dishes to pull out all the stops to serve the most delectable food on the table for everyone to enjoy.

And if that happens to be you, chances are high that you already have some recipes in mind to make each of these feasts a gastronomic delight to remember. They might even be all-time family favorites, or even hand-me-downs from your great-great grandparents. Having said that, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to learn a few more recipes just to keep things fresh and put something different on the table for Christmas. Two that are guaranteed to make you look like Master Chef are Meatballs in Black Truffle Sauce and Three-Cheese Truffle Macaroni and Cheese.

The recipes are as follows:

Meatballs in Black Truffle Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 slices white bread crusts removed, broken into pieces

• scant 2/3 cup whole milk

• 2 1/4 cups finely minced ground beef (or a mixture of meats, such as pork, chicken or turkey)

• 1/2 cup meat pâté

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Plain all-purpose flour, for dusting

• Olive oil for frying

FOR THE BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon + 2 tsp butter

• A drizzle of olive oil

• 1 bunch spring onions scallions, finely chopped

• 1 carrot finely chopped

• 1 heaped cup button or oyster mushrooms finely chopped

• 3 1/2 tablespoon plain all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 2 cups beef chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

• 1/2 cup double heavy cream

• 1/2 teaspoon Umbria Black Truffle Sauce

Instructions

1. Place the bread in a bowl and pour over the milk. Set aside to soak.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the meat and the pâté. Add the soaked bread and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until smooth and well combined. Form meatballs by rolling walnut-sized pieces of the mixture between your hands. They should be about 1oz each. Dust the meatballs in flour.

3. Heat some oil in a shallow pan over a medium-high heat and fry the meatballs just until they are golden. Do not overcook at this stage as we are going to finish them in the sauce. Set aside.

4. To make the sauce, heat the butter and olive oil in a pan over a medium-low heat and add the finely chopped spring onions, carrot and mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Reduce the temperature to low and add the flour to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to make a roux. Cook for about 4 minutes and then add the wine, continuing to stir until you get a paste and the alcohol has evaporated, then add the stock with the salt and rosemary. Keep stirring and cooking until the sauce thickens, then add the cream, stirring so that the mixture doesn’t split or curdle. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for a further 5 minutes.

5. Put Umbria Black Truffle Sauce into the sauce, mix and fold and serve hot.

Three-Cheese Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter, divided

1 cup mushroom (75 g), sliced

1 pinch salt

1 pinch pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk (240 mL)

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (110 g)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (100 g)

2 cups shell pasta (400 g), cooked

TOPPINGS

½ teaspoon Umbria truffle oil

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Preparation

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are softened. Remove from the pot.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour to the pot. Whisk until the flour is toasted, approximately 2 minutes.

3. Add the milk while whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Cook until the sauce is thickened.

4. Whisk in the Parmesan and cheddar cheeses and season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the cooked pasta and mushrooms. Mix until the sauce coats the pasta well.

6. Top with Umbria truffle oil, fold and add chives.

Of course, it’s understandable that you’d stop at nothing to make these year’s Christmas celebrations as grand as possible. After all, last year’s Holidays were mostly muted due to the pandemic. Now, the scourge that is COVID-19 is still here, but the country is showing signs of recovery and the quarantine restrictions are easing as a result.

However, that doesn’t mean you and your family should be letting your guard down. Rather, continue to be vigilant even as you think of ways to gather everyone this Christmastime—ideally, sharing some sumptuous Meatballs in Umbria Black Truffle Sauce and servings of mouthwatering Three-Cheese Umbria White Truffle Macaroni and Cheese.

Merry Christmas!

Prices of Noche Buena products remain stable - Sec. Lopez

Amidst reports of price adjustments of some brands of hams and cheese products, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported the assurance of majority of producers that supply and prices of Noche Buena products such as pasta, sauce, bread, and hams remains stable. 

DTI made the announcement after convening with manufacturers to check the price and supply situation of Noche Buena products. DTI annually meets with manufacturers of Noche Buena goods in preparation for the upcoming Yuletide season when demands are at its peak.

“Several manufacturers assured adequate supply and stability in prices for the coming season, mainly due to the very tight competition among various brands fighting for market shares,” said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.

The trade chief shared that market competition has enabled businesses to do creative product promotions such as bundling and discounts for the whole package. For example, sauces were bundled with pastas and sold at more affordable prices.

“This is competition at play. Even in the ham category, products are so competitive that discounts are being given and several variants that serve different market segments are being offered with affordable pricing,” added Sec. Lopez.

Several meetings with Noche Buena product players also confirmed that there will be no price increase for pasta, sauces, cheese, ham, and canned tuna until December 2017.

On the other hand, a premium brand of bread increased its price by only one peso per loaf while other brands of bread have kept their prices stable as of October this year.

Trade Secretary Lopez encouraged consumers to use “e-Presyo”, an online based price monitoring platform, to be guided while buying their Noche Buena products for the Christmas Season. 

*This is Press Release

DTI assures stable “noche Buena” food prices, says P1 billion to assist MSMEs

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Teodoro Pascua on December 7 Wednesday said at the Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City that  government is working to ensure continued stable prices for “noche buena” Christmas foods and prime commodities. He foresees no higher consumer prices until the end of December, even with the recent Philippine peso depreciation similar with other Asian currencies.

            Pascua cited the continued stable prices of pandesal, breads and other flour-based food products as the result of government’s continuous consultations with bakery groups and other sectors, as well as the declining global prices of wheat and flour.

            Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Ted Pascua said he and DTI have been meeting and working closely with diverse business organizations, enterprises and consumers to monitor prices of basic foods and consumer goods. He also urged the media to encourage a less Western or more pro-local consumer behavior, such as promoting the buying of Filipino-made “parol” lanterns instead of the Western idea of Christmas trees, singing or playing Filipino Christmas carols instead of Western music with lyrics about winter or snopw, etc.

            Pascua said that a source of good news for stable consumer goods and food prices for 2017 is the Duterte administration’s new plan to roll out DTI’s P1 billion pesos special fund for micro-lending to micro, small and medium-scale (MSME) entrepreneurs, which hopes to ease the burdens of small traders who used to be dependent on high-interest, so-called “5-6” loans. He said this special DTI fund for micro-lending can grow to as much as P6 billion pesos by 2018.

            DTI Undersecretary Pascua said retailers and consumers should consult DTI’s list of suggested retail prices (SRPs) of noche buena products released on November 4. He said DTI welcomes complaints by the public about possible profiteering, exorbitant prices, faulty quality standards, etc. He said the public can communicate to the DTI via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, telephones, writing letters or visiting their offices.

            The public is encouraged to use DTI’s “e-Presyo” to guide consumers, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to monitor DTI’s SRP prices.