SUBSIDY FOR RICE RETAILERS. Personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development release an economic relief subsidy of PHP15,000 each to eligible rice retailers in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City last month. Some 583 beneficiaries from the province and the city received the cash aid totaling PHP8.745 million. (File photo courtesy of DTI-Negros Occidental)
BACOLOD CITY – Some 2,539 rice retailers in Western Visayas have availed of the government’s economic relief assistance totaling PHP38.085 million during the implementation of the price cap for regular and well-milled rice last month, figures of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Western Visayas (DSWD-Region 6) on Wednesday showed.
Each eligible retailer is entitled to a PHP15,000 one-time assistance under the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP-ERS).
“We already reached the 100 percent payout,” SLP provincial coordinator for Negros Occidental Ramil Raquit said during a Media Forum held at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City.
In Negros Occidental, 498 rice retailers availed PHP7.47 million while in Bacolod City, 85 rice retailers received PHP1.275 million, or a total of 583 beneficiaries with paid subsidy of PHP8.745 million.
The rest of the beneficiaries are in Iloilo City as well as the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, Aklan and Guimaras.
Raquit said the subsidy for rice retailers was released in three batches between Sept. 5 and 28 in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The DTI has been responsible for the endorsement of the eligible beneficiaries while the DSWD-SLP administered the provision of grants to the endorsed beneficiaries.
On Oct. 4, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. lifted the implementation of Executive Order 39, which mandated a price ceiling on regular-milled and well-milled rice starting Sept. 5.
EO 39 then imposed a price cap of PHP41 per kg. on regular milled rice and PHP45 per kg. on well-milled rice. (PNA)
