BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental provincial government is lending the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) a hand in monitoring the price cap on rice.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday morning they were willing to assist the DTI should the latter ask for it.
“That is already an EO. It’s not only the province, even the national government would make sure of its compliance,” the governor said, referring to Executive Order (EO) No. 39.
Under EO 39 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Aug. 31, the mandated price ceiling for regular milled rice is P41 per kilogram while the mandated price cap for well-milled rice is P45 per kilogram.
The order came into effect on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Lacson further explained the price cap will be in force until it is lifted by the President upon the recommendation of the Price Coordinating Council, or the DTI and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The governor, however, said the current concern is the retailers.
“If indeed the national government could help the retailers it would be good,” Lacson said.
Earlier, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said small rice retailers will get a maximum subsidy of P15,000 as early as next week to cover the losses they are expected to incur with the imposition of rice price cap.
DSWD secretary Rex Gatchalian said he was instructed by President Marcos to get funding from the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), which has an approved budget of P5.5 billion for this year.
“This (SLP) has been a program of the DSWD for a long time where we help ordinary people every day and small businesses affected by such as what is happening now (rice price ceiling),” Gatchalian said in an interview on radio station dzBB.
He added that qualified recipients would be based on the list from the DTI and DA. (With a report from Philippine Daily Inquirer)/PN
