(PNA file photo by Connie Calipay)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-5 (DSWD Bicol) will start the distribution of cash assistance to micro and small rice retailers affected by the price ceiling under Executive Order (EO) 39 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Ram Joseph Zaragoza, DSWD-5 project development officer for the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), said the payout for the 236 retailers will be held on Wednesday and Thursday in the six provinces of the region.
"Each one of them will receive PHP15,000 or a total of PHP3.54 million worth of assistance. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provided us the list of profiled rice retailers and for the first batch, which are the registered retailers, we have 236 eligible small and micro (business) owners. The non-registered retailers will be served for the succeeding payouts," Zaragoza said in an interview on Tuesday.
The SLP payout on Sept. 13 will be in the provinces of Albay (40); Camarines Sur (13); Sorsogon (156); and Catanduanes (8).
For Sept. 14, DSWD will cater to the rice retailer beneficiaries in Camarines Norte (2) and Masbate (17).
Zaragoza reminded the beneficiaries that the payout would be done at the supermarkets, thus they need not go to DTI or DSWD offices.
"Ang mga payout ay mangyayari sa inyong mga pampublikong palengke. Hindi ninyo kailangan magtungo sa mga tanggapan ng DTI, DSWD at sa inyong lokal na pamahalaan kaugnay ng SLP cash assistance for micro rice retailers dahil kami ang lalapit sa inyo (Payouts will happen in your public markets. You do not need to go to the offices of DTI, DSWD and your local government regarding SLP cash assistance for micro rice retailers because we will come to you)," he said.
The DSWD and DTI agreed that rice retailers in wet markets, public markets and other areas accessible to the general public, excluding supermarkets and convenience stores, shall be entitled to the SLP cash assistance.
SLP is a community-based program of DSWD, which enhances their capacity to improve the program participants’ socio-economic status. (PNA)
