At least 87 micro rice retailers in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor have received a financial subsidy of P15,000 each from the national government to cushion the impact caused by the price ceiling imposed for the household staple.
On Thursday, the Department of Social Welfare & Development, and the Department of Trade & Industry distributed the subsidy to the rice retailers at four different venues in the region.
Emma Patalinghug, chief of the Protective Services Division of the DSWD-Central Visayas, said in a forum that a total of P1.3 million under the department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief was distributed to the verified rice retailers in the region.
“As Executive Order 39 is still in effect, the DSWD responded to the affected micro rice retailers by extending cash assistance through the SLP. The role of the DSWD is to give out the subsidy through the SLP. The task to identify and certify is given to the DTI,” she said.
EO 39 was issued by President Marcos Jr., putting a price ceiling for regular-milled rice at P41 and P45 for well-milled rice.
The 87 rice retailers – 17 from Cebu, six from Bohol, 63 from Negros Oriental, and one from Siquijor – have undergone the process of verification by referring their names to the list endorsed by the DTI.
The next step, she said, is to conduct a profiling of the personal information to ensure the beneficiaries are indeed rice retailers in their respective provinces.
“Thursday was the last step, which was the payout of the P15,000 cash subsidy,” Patalinghug added.
Ma. Elena Calumpang-Arbon, DTI regional director, said the payout was simultaneously done in four venues in Central Visayas.
The 17 rice retailers from Cebu City, Minglanilla, and Consolacion got their P15,000-subsidy at the Carbon Market on Thursday; while the 63 beneficiaries from Canlaon City, Dumaguete City, Bayawan, Tanjay, Tayasan, Bindoy, Basay, Sibulan, La Libertad, Guihulngan City, Tayasan, and Bais City got their subsidies at the Negros Oriental Convention Center in Dumaguete.
Six rice retailers from Tagbilaran City, Sevilla, Carmen, Jagna, and Ubay got their subsidies on Thursday at the DSWD office in Tagbilaran City, and the lone beneficiary from Lazi in Siquijor received the aid in the same afternoon.
Officials from the central office of the DSWD and DTI attended the payout activities. (PNA)
