DTI-Zambo Norte holds consumer assembly

By Franklin P. Gumapon

Tuesday 12th of June 2012

DIPOLOG CITY, June 12 (PIA) - To get firsthand information on the issues and concerns confronting consumers, the provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in partnership with the Dipolog Consumers’ Watch Group, Inc. conducted a consumer assembly recently.

Barangay leaders, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officers, students, media practitioners, public and private employees and other stakeholders attended the gathering and aired their specific concerns on the goods and services sold and provided by certain institutions and establishments.

A participant sought the help of the Department of Energy (DOE) to probe local gasoline dealers for their failure to immediately effect price rollbacks on petroleum products despite a series of price rollbacks implemented in Manila.

Another consumer complained about drugstores that refused to give discounts to senior citizens. “When a senior citizen buys his medicine, the common alibi among pharmacy owners/attendants is that the drug is out of stock,” he said.

Many have also complained on unscrupulous rice retailers and traders for selling NFA rice as commercial rice, giving them low-grade rice when buying and paying for well-milled rice and other fraudulent practices.

On the part of the DTI, Consumer Welfare and Protection Division Chief Julius Salaveria assured the participants that all their issues and concerns would be collated for presentation during the consumer empowerment forum to be conducted in the third quarter of this year. (ALT/FPG/PIA-Zamboanga del Norte)