GMA News Online reports that prices of pencils and crayons are expected to increase this coming school year, but prices of other school supplies — particularly notebooks and pads — will remain stable. According to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya, prices of crayons may go up by P3 to P6 , while pencil prices may go up by P2 to P3 due to price adjustments in wood and petroleum, on which pencils and crayons are based, respectively.

"Nagkaroon tayo ng pagpulong (we had a meeting) with manufacturers and retail outlets, bookstores. Ang magandang balita ang (the good news is) notebooks and pads parehong presyo, nanatili sa (prices of notebooks and pads will remain in) last year's level," the report quoted Maglaya as saying in an interview on dzBB radio. About pencils and crayons, she said: “’Yan ang dalawang (those are the two) school supplies na tumaas (that will now cost more), but all the rest the same as last year ang price levels.”

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