BALANGA CITY — The Philippine Information Agency provincial office reported on Sept. 28 that 550 sari-sari store owners and micro rice retailers in Bataan received P15,000 each as subsidy to tide them over during the imposition of the rice price cap.
Rick Quiambao, PIA provincial head, said the Department of Social Welfare and Development with the assistance of the Department of Trade conducted the second payout at Vista Mall here.
The first payout was made for 38 beneficiaries last Sept. 14 at The Bunker, seat of the provincial government.
Quiambao said the project is part of DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program – Cash Assistance for Micro Rice Retailers who suffered losses with the mandated rice price cap of P41 per kilo for regular milled rice and P45 a kilo for well-milled rice.
DTI certified and listed the beneficiaries as qualified rice retailers and compliant with Executive Order 39 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that sets up a price cap on rice to ease off its rising prices.
According to Quiambao provincial coordinator Ricky Gacayan of DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program said both DSWD and DTI will monitor the recipients to ensure the proper utilization of the cash assistance.
He said that DTI provincial director Eileen Ocampo advised the beneficiaries to adhere to the rice price ceiling which is still in effect nationwide.
