With the upcoming school year just around the corner, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) releases the Gabay sa Pamimili ng School Supplies to assist consumers in their purchase of school items. The Price Act (RA7581) classifies school supplies as Prime Commodities.

After two years of using various learning modalities, schools began conducting face-to-face classes last year while President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. recently lifted the State of Public Health Emergency nationwide. As the school year 2023-2024 starts on August 29, the Department reaffirms its support for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Balik Eskwela program by issuing the price guide for school supplies.

The price guide includes specific brands of notebooks (composition, spiral, and writing), pad paper (Grades 1-4 and intermediate), pencils, ballpoint pens, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, and rulers.  

As of July 2023, notebook prices range from PHP 23.00 to PHP 52.00, while Grades 1-4 pad paper prices vary from PHP 21.00 to PHP 28.00. Intermediate pad paper, on the other hand, costs from PHP 31.00 to PHP48.75.00. 

Prices of writing materials such as pencils and ballpoint pens range from PHP 11.00 to PHP 17.00, and from PHP9.75 to PHP 19.00, respectively. Depending on the brand, consumers may purchase a box of crayons with eight (8) colors for as low as PHP 12.00 to as high as PHP34.00. A 12-color pack costs PHP32.00, while the price of a 16-color pack varies from PHP 24.00 to PHP 69.00.

Meanwhile, an eraser at small, medium, and large sizes, has a price range from PHP4.50 to PHP20.00. Sharpeners and rulers are priced at PHP18.00 – PHP69.00 and PHP22.00 – PHP27.75.00, respectively.  

“While prices of some products have remained unaffected by recent market trends, other school supplies saw price increases. This is primarily due to increased global cost of basic raw materials,” says DTI Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary, Atty. Ruth B. Castelo.

Atty. M. Marcus N. Valdez II, Director of the DTI Consumer Policy and Advocacy Bureau, emphasizes, “The DTI is closely coordinating with the manufacturers of school supplies to ensure that prices are reasonable and supply is sufficient in the market.”

The Gabay sa Pamimili ng School Supplies was published today, 25 July 2023 in The Philippine Star. The public may access the SRP Bulletin for school supplies via the DTI website

The DTI remains committed to its mandate of promoting fair trade practices and safeguarding consumer welfare. 
For consumer-related concerns and queries, you may send an email to ConsumerCare@dti.gov.ph or reach us thru the One-DTI (1-384) Hotline. ♦

Date of release: 25 July 2023

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