After deadly landslides:Price freeze in Naga City

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry has imposed a 60-day price freeze on basic commodities in Naga City following the deadly landslides last September 20.

Basic goods include canned sardines, condensed and evaporated milk, powdered milk, coffee, detergent and laundry soap, instant noodles and bottled water. Under the Price Act, prices of basic goods sold at a disaster area are frozen automatically at their prevailing prices.

DTI-7 Director Asteria Caberte said retailers found selling more than the listed prevailing prices will be fined up to P1 million and may be imprisoned for not more than a year.

The price freeze is expected to help those still reeling from the disaster like 16-year-old Jonalyn Siton, the first survivor rescued from the landslide site in Barangay Sindulan.

She lost her mother and three younger siblings to the landslide.

A Grade 11 student, Jonalyn said their family has always depended on a fruit stall for a living. They plan to reopen the stall next week to start earning again.

Naga market administrator Anecito Olmillo said the landslides affected even those outside the danger zone.

"Atong mga stall owners apektado pud tungod kay nihinay ang baligya, nihinay ang palit. Kasagaran sa mamalit manigurado og palit sa mga nag-unang panginahanglanon," he told The FREEMAN.

He said some small scale entrepreneurs, particularly those affected by the landslide and who have been asked to evacuate their residences, have abandoned their stores and, because of this, have stopped buying goods from their suppliers at the market.

Even with the price freeze on basic goods, Olmillo said there may be some products like fish whose prices cannot be controlled since fishery production may be dependent to weather conditions.

Operation

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is set to recommend the stoppage of the search and retrieval operations but PDRRMO Chief Baltazar Tribunalo said a consensus between the Naga City government and the families of missing persons would be needed.

“Butangan na nato sya’g deadline kay ang latest nga nakuha namo, agnas na man gyud, deformed na kaayo,” Tribunalo said.

Sixty-nine bodies have been recovered from ground zero. Rescuers also retrieved eight body parts.

As of yesterday, eight were still missing, including six residents of Sitio Sindulan, one resident of Sitio Tagaytay, and one from Apo Quarry and Land Corporation.

EBALLE

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office-7 Director Debold Sinas said he has already directed the chief of the Naga Police to look for Sheila Eballe and offer her assistance.

Eballe has been hiding because she reportedly felt threatened when she found out that security personnel of Apo Land and Quarry Corporation reportedly came looking for her after she urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop quarry operations in the city.

"I fear for my safety now. They are looking for me. I was first alerted when the security personnel from Apo were looking for me. Have I committed any wrongdoing? I only expressed what is true," she said in a message to The Freeman.

ALQC has already denied the allegations. It said in a statement:

“ALQC condemns in the strongest terms such malicious reports linking the company to the alleged disappearance of a certain "Shiela". ALQC remains committed to supporting all those affected in every way it can, even post-evacuation relief efforts. Said irresponsible claim has no room in this difficult time, when the communities' welfare IS OF the paramount importance. This is the last time ALQC will respond to this baseless report.” (FREEMAN)