MANILA - The onslaught of tropical storm "Ondoy" (international code name Ketsana) has led the government to order a price freeze on all basic commodities for the next 60 days.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said all commodities sold in storm-hit areas should be priced at their levels last week. The agency is set to publish its price ceiling for these items on Tuesday, September 29.

The price freeze will cover areas placed under a state of calamity by the national government.

These include the Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and some areas in Metro Manila.

People are stocking up on basic items such as rice, canned sardines, and bottled water as a number of of them were stranded in evacuation centers due to the tropical storm.

Supermarket owners said they are now beginning to run out of goods as floods in many thoroughfares have affected deliveries.

"We are short of supply, suppliers cannot deliver. Binibili din kasi ng LGUs (local government units) for relief operations tulad ng tubig at bigas, and they are buying by the boxload (LGUs are buying bottled water and rice by the boxload for their relief operations)," Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association President Steven Cua said.

"The problem is logistics. Paano maipapadala sa supermarkets at sa mga tindahan," DTI Secretary Peter Favila added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will put up alternative markets in the next 2 days to help storm-hit areas such as Cainta, Pasig, Marikina, Malabon, and Navotas. The agency said it has set P2 million for food items such as chicken, vegetables, fish, and canned goods.

The DA assured that there is still enough supply of basic agricultural products such as rice. Still, the agency said it continues to watch water levels at dams in central Luzon since it is almost harvest time.

"This is what we're monitoring closely," Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said.

At present, he said the Pantabangan, Magat, Maasin, and San Roque dams are almost near its spilling levels.