The Department of Health said Wednesday face shield price should not be higher than P50, as they would be required in workplaces and public transportation.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview with Unang Hirit that they already come up with face shields’ suggested retail price (SRP). She added Secretary Francisco Duque III needs to approve it first before they recommend it to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Vergeire said she could not announce the exact amount of face shield SRP before Duque’s approval but said it would not be higher than P50.
“Huwag kayong mag-alala [kasi] we made sure na hindi tataas ang presyo dahil based dun sa material na sinabi sa atin at mabibili ng ating mga kababayan nang hindi sila mahihirapan,” she said.
(Do not worry because we made sure that the price will not increase because it is based on the material we were told and our countrymen can buy it without difficulty.)
According to Vergeire, the recommended SRP is based on a “small survey,” the health department conducted after coordinating with experts regarding the manufacturing materials of face shields.
Also read: Wearing of face shield required in workplace under MECQ
Face shield price should not be over P50
“Nagpagawa kami ng small survey across the different markets of face shields dito sa ating bansa, pero bago namin ginawa ‘yan nakipag-usap kami sa ekperto kung ano bang klaseng material ang kailangan ng face shield para maprotektahan ang ating mga consumers, ‘yung mga kababayan natin,” she said.
(We conducted a small survey across the different markets of face shields here in our country, but before we did that, we talked to the experts on what kind of material the face shield needs to protect our consumers, our countrymen.)
“Meron namang napag-agreehan at sinabi rin nung experts na ito yung material na kailangan, so with that material we were able to do a survey so nakapag-rekomenda na kami kahapon, sa ating Secretary of Health, kung magkano ang SRP na ilalagay natin diyan,” Vergeire added.
(Some of these experts also agreed and said the material needed, so with that material we were able to survey, so we were able to recommend yesterday, to our Secretary of Health, how much SRP we will put there.)