NO VIOLATIONS. Rice retailers in Legazpi City comply with Executive Order No. 39 mandating a price cap of PHP41 per kilogram (kg) of regular milled rice and PHP45 per kg. for well-milled rice. The Department of Agriculture on Wednesday (Sept. 27, 2023) reported a 100-percent compliance rate with the order in the Bicol region. (PNA file photo by Connie Calipay)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA)-5 (Bicol) has recorded a 100-percent compliance rate to Executive Order (EO) 39 among rice retailers in the Bicol region.
EO 39 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Aug. 31 mandates a price cap of PHP41 per kilogram (kg) for regular milled rice and PHP45 per kg. for well-milled rice.
In an interview on Wednesday, Lovella Guarin, DA-5 spokesperson, said the agency's Bantay Presyo Task Force (TF) for Bicol monitored the compliance by all the 376 rice retailers in the six provinces of the region.
"We are thankful to all rice retailers in the region since all of them are compliant with the EO 39. We also intensified the Bantay Presyo Task Force (TF) for Bicol monitoring the rice prices in the major markets in the six provinces with the help of other agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). From the previous weekly price monitoring, the Bicol Bantay Presyo Task Force is now conducting daily price monitoring," Guarin said.
She said the task force continues to monitor even on Saturdays and Sundays, and is ready to issue a notice of violation (NOV) to rice retailers found to be non-compliant with the price ceiling.
Under Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act, violators of the price ceiling can be penalized as provided in Sections 15 and 16.
Penalties include imprisonment of up to 10 years and substantial fines ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP1 million.
The DA-5 also reported that there are sufficient rice stocks in Bicol based on the Philippine Rice Information System satellite data.
"The palay harvest this September in Camarines Sur alone is estimated to reach 76,000 metric tons (MT) and 53,000 MT in October," a statement from the agency said.
The average price of fresh palay in the province ranges from PHP17 to PHP21.50 and PHP21 to PHP24 for dry palay.
Meanwhile, a total of 1,251 micro rice retailers and sari-sari store owners in Bicol will receive Thursday a PHP15,000 government assistance to cushion the effect of the mandated price cap on their businesses.
In an interview on Wednesday, Ram Joseph Zaragoza, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-5 (Bicol) project development officer for the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), said the recipients comprise the second batch of beneficiaries.
"The beneficiaries are 746 micro rice retailers and 505 sari-sari store owners identified by the DTI with PHP18.7 million worth of assistance," he said.
Zaragoza said they continue to monitor the beneficiaries even after receiving the assistance.
"Kailangan natin makita na talagang sumusunod sila sa agreement. To check kung saan talaga nila gagamitin yung assistance since the objective of the SLP is to help their businesses and their livelihoods (We need to see that they are really complying with the agreement. To check how they use the assistance provided since the objective of the SLP is to help their businesses and their livelihoods," he said. (PNA)
