(PNA file photo)
CEBU CITY – At least 87 micro rice retailers in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor will receive a financial subsidy of PHP15,000 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 and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will meet the rice retailers at four different venues in the region for the payout of the financial subsidy.
Emma Patalinghug, chief of the Protective Services Division of the DSWD-Central Visayas, said in a forum Wednesday that a total of PHP1.3 million under the department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief (SLP-ERS) will be 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 Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., putting a price ceiling for regular-milled rice at PHP41 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.
“Tomorrow (Thursday), is the last step, which is the payout of the PHP15,000 cash subsidy,” Patalinghug added.
Ma. Elena Arbon, DTI-7 regional director, said the payout will be simultaneously done in four venues in Central Visayas.
The 17 rice retailers from Cebu City, Minglanilla, and Consolacion will get their PHP15,000 subsidy at the Carbon Market at 1:30 p.m. 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 will be done at the Convention Center at Dumaguete City at 1 p.m. of the same day.
Six rice retailers from Tagbilaran City, Sevilla, Carmen, Jagna, and Ubay will get their subsidy at the DSWD Office in Tagbilaran City at 2 p.m. and the lone beneficiary from Lazi in Siquijor will receive the aid in the same town also at 2 p.m.
Officials from the central office of the DSWD and DTI are expected to attend the payout activity. (PNA)
