DTI Price Freeze 2026 — No Price Hike on 190 Basic Goods Until Dec. 31 Even as Inflation Hits 7.8%
DTI PRICE FREEZE 2026 – Prices of basic necessities and prime commodities will not go up until the end of the year, Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said, a day after the government reported that inflation climbed to 7.8 percent in October.
“For BNPCs, there’s still no price increase up to December 31, 2026,” Roque said on Thursday, November 5, on the sidelines of the Philippine Exporters Trade Exposition & Forum at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The Department of Trade and Industry’s BNPC list covers 190 stock keeping units (SKUs), including canned fish, processed milk, coffee, bread and laundry soap, PNA reported.
Inflation in October 2026 at a Glance
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said headline inflation rose to 7.8 percent in October from 7.2 percent in September. It is the highest since February 2023, when it reached 8.6 percent, based on reports by Philstar.com and The Manila Times.
- Headline inflation: 7.8 percent in October, from 7.2 percent in September
- Core inflation: 5.4 percent, from 4.8 percent
- Transport: 20.1 percent, from 14.6 percent
- Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels: 9.3 percent, from 8.4 percent
- Food: 6.4 percent, from 6.8 percent, per PSA data cited by Philstar.com
- Rice: 20.7 percent, from 20.3 percent
- January to October average: 5.6 percent, above the government’s 2 to 4 percent target, according to Rappler
Loans for Small Businesses
Roque said the government is helping entrepreneurs cope with rising prices by ensuring funding and access to more markets. She said the Small Business Corporation (SBCorp) has loan programs for students, women entrepreneurs and former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), among others. SBCorp has a PHP12-billion loan disbursement target for 2026, PNA reported.
The trade chief also said exports grew 35.7 percent as of September, according to ABS-CBN News.
What This Means for Shoppers
The assurance applies only to items on the DTI’s BNPC list. It does not cover fuel, transport fares, electricity or rice, which are among the biggest drivers of October’s inflation. Shoppers can check the DTI’s official price guides for the covered products and report overpricing to the agency.
Are you feeling the rise in prices at the grocery? Read our earlier report on the BSP’s latest interest rate stance as inflation could breach 8 percent.
