DISTRIBUTION. Micro rice retailers in La Union province get their cash subsidy worth PHP15,000 each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development on Wednesday (Sept. 27, 2023). They are among the rice retailers complying with Executive Order 39 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that sets a price cap on rice. (Photo courtesy of DTI La Union)
DAGUPAN CITY – More micro rice retailers complying with the price ceiling on well-milled and regular-milled rice based on Executive Order (EO) 39 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., from the province of Pangasinan and La Union, have received cash subsidy from the national government.
In an interview on Wednesday, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Pangasinan consumer and protection division officer-in-charge Guillermo Avelino Jr. said around 312 micro rice retailers got PHP15,000 each on Sept. 26 and 27. Another 496 recipients are set to get theirs on Sept. 28 and 29 at different venues across the province.
Avelino said the distribution to the beneficiaries is now held in clusters in four different venues.
He said the compliance rate of rice retailers in the province based on their monitoring is now at almost 99 percent.
“We are happy with this together with the other members of the task force, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which monitors the rice retailers. We are also checking the beneficiaries because they have signed an undertaking that they will continue to abide by the EO until it is lifted,” he said.
Imelda Sta. Maria, one of the beneficiaries from the city, thanked the national government for the cash subsidy.
“Malaking tulong sa aming mga rice retailers (This is a huge help to us rice retailers),” she said.
Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez encouraged the rice retailers to continue supporting the program of the President.
“May nakausap ako na rice miller at salamat naman medyo bababa na daw ang presyo ng bigas. Sana wala ng bagyo kasi nakakaapekto ito sa pagtaas. Sana tuloy-tuloy support ninyo sa programa ng Presidente (I have talked with a rice miller and thankfully the price of rice is going down, hopefully there will be no more typhoons as it affects the increase. We are hoping that your support for the program of the President will continue),” Fernandez told the beneficiaries.
"Ang bilis ng gobyerno na tumugon. Andyan agad support sa mga rice retailers. Magtulungan lang po tayo para sa ating mga kababayan (The government’s response was swift as the support to the rice retailers was immediately there. Let us continue to help one another for our fellow citizens)," she added.
La Union
In La Union, 64 micro rice retailers received their PHP15,000 each cash subsidy on Sept. 26 and 67 micro rice retailers on Sept. 27.
DTI La Union consumer protection division officer-in-charge Marissa Nonesa said another distribution will be held on Sept. 29 but they are still collating the total number of beneficiaries in the province.
She added the distribution activity was also held in clusters in different venues.
The DTI personnel said although they had submitted the list of beneficiaries, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) validated the list including the supporting documents of the rice retailers before the cash was released.
Nonesa said some of the listed beneficiaries were disapproved by the DSWD due to cases of double entry which is the case for some listed recipients in Pangasinan as well.
The cash subsidy is under the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the DSWD. (PNA)
