MANILA, Philippines - Buy enough groceries to last for three days. Consumers were given this piece of advice by Steven T. Cua, who heads an industry group representing 156 supermarkets across the country.
Cua offered this suggestion after incessant rain submerged most of the Philippine capital, prompting consumers to rush to the nearest supermarkets to ensure that their supplies remain sufficient in case of extended inclement weather.
The ones most quickly snapped up were sardines, bread, noodles, bottled water and batteries.
Shoppers “are buying more than what they need right now,” Cua told InterAksyon.com in a phone interview on Tuesday.
They should just buy enough supplies so as to prevent aggravating slight imbalances in the supply chain, added Cua, the president of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association Inc. (Pagasa).
On Tuesday, when above-average rainfall traced to the southwest monsoon or “habagat” poured on Metro Manila and nearby areas, a higher-than-usual demand was reported for bread.
Since most of Metro Manila’s roads were flooded, suppliers were unable to deliver the commodity. “This is a problem of delivery, not supply,” Cua said.
Some supermarkets accepted daily deliveries while others had them delivered once every two days. “And if you were among the supermarkets who belonged to the latter, you may have run out of bread to sell,” Cua said.
At the same time, he assured the public that should a shortage of bread arise, demand can be easily be filled up by supplies from the provinces in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon).
Cua also clarified that if shelves do run out of stock of items, it would simple be a matter of their crew being unable to fill them up fast enough.
Pagasa members have noted increased demand for sardines, noodles, bottled water, and batteries, he added.
All its 156 members—80 of which are located in Metro Manila—have sufficient inventory for one to two weekds, he explained.
He also recognized that demand for relief goods—especially from government, donor agencies, and non-government organizations—have not helped alleviate their members’ “supply issues” at all.
“Shoppers should be as basic as possible,” he said.
source: interaksyon.com
