By Ruelle Castro
Copyright malaya
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday imposed a 60-day price freeze on basic goods in Cebu, following Tuesday night’s magnitude 6.9 earthquake that killed dozens and damaged infrastructure across the province.
DTI said the enforcement is aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to fully mobilize all government efforts for relief and rescue. Monitoring teams have been deployed to inspect markets, verify prices, and ensure adequate supply in affected communities.
“Beyond enforcing the price freeze, our priority is to ensure that prices and supplies are affordable and stable,” Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said. “DTI will be vigilant in making sure that consumers are protected from undue price increases.”
The measure took effect automatically after the Cebu provincial board declared a state of calamity (Resolution No. 1985, Series of 2025).
The earthquake struck at 9:59 pm Tuesday, September 30, with its epicenter off northern Cebu near Bogo City at a shallow depth of 5 to 10 kilometers, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported.
The US Geological Survey estimated a maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity of VIII (Severe), with approximately 164,000 people within that zone, mainly in Daanbantayan and Bogo, and millions more exposed to lower but damaging intensities.
The quake knocked out power, damaged schools and commercial buildings, and disrupted transport links in the central Visayas.
The Department of Health reported hospitals in Cebu were overwhelmed with casualties, while local officials appealed for food, water, and shelter. The disaster compounded an already fragile recovery from Severe Tropical Storm Opong, which had battered the region days earlier.
