The customer is king!
The issue of overpriced commodities in the province of Bohol is not new. In fact, there were several investigations already conducted in the past that did not bring any tangible results as prices continue to soar high like a rocket headed for Mars.
Boholanos could only heave a sigh of frustration every time they made rounds at our markets to buy food and other necessities. The minimum wage in Bohol which has stagnated at P361.00 per day can barely buyone kilo of tamarong. This means that all your hard labor for 8 hours a day would not be enough to feed your family, and all your day’s work would just be spent to feed the greed of those enriching themselves at the expense of the many.
While there may be price factors causing disparity in the prices of commodities across different provinces, it is hard to explain why prices in Bohol are so high compared to neighboring provinces such as Cebu and Negros Oriental.
After typhoon Odette devastated the province, we were prepared to endure the suffering of living in roofless houses or makeshift shelters with no water and electricity. But we did not just wake up the day after with damaged houses; we faced the reality that we are taken advantage of our patience and disaster resilience, not by other people but our own fellow Boholanos.
As everyone is in crisis mode and is willing to buy the much-needed supplies at all cost, unscrupulous businessmen robbed the pockets of the consumers by selling their products like precious golds in violation of existing laws and regulations.We took to social media to air our gripes to our heart’s content. But at the end of the day, we are still forced to buy those overpriced commodities.
But patience has its limits. Take it too far, and it’s cowardice, said American author George Jackson. Boholanos’ patience has reached the breaking point. The long queues of people at the gas stations, banks, supermarkets, ATM machines, money remittance centers, public markets, and almost everywhere else where basic commodities are sold have sparked resentment among consumers who fell victims of profiteering.
On January 15, a group of civic-spirited citizens launched the Bol-anon Bantay Presyo Council, a private sector consumer group headed by Mr. Cylwin Bomediano as Chairman and Judge Jennifer Marcos as Vice Chairperson. Few days after its formal launching, the group already made its presence felt by meeting with government officials and Price Coordinating Council of the province. The group calls for stricter implementation of laws to protect consumers from high prices of commodities.
As explained by Mr. Bomediano, their group has hatched a plan to bring cheaper commodities or goods to the market, bringing huge benefit to Boholano consumers.
Indeed, an antidote to excessive greed among businesses is consumer activism. Businesses are supposed to serve the best interests of consumers, and not the other way around. An age-old mantra says, “Customer is King”. Only those who give their Kings the best value for their money must survive in this competitive market.