BALANGA CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Thursday started distributing payouts of P15,000 to each rice retailer in Bataan listed as qualified beneficiaries by the Department of Trade and Industry.
DTI provincial director Eileen Ocampo said to receive payouts this Thursday are 38 rice retailers from big public markets in Balanga City, Mariveles, Orani, and Dinalupihan.
Payouts were made at the ground floor of The Bunker, seat of the provincial government in Balanga City.
Ocampo said DTI is in the process of getting lists from municipal and city business permits and licensing offices to determine the total number of registered rice retailers in Bataan.
“So itong 38 rice retailers ang mga na-monitor na namin. Tuloy-tuloy ang monitoring na gagawin and hopefully ang payout tuloy-tuloy din habang nandiyan pa ang EO 39,” she said.
President Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order 39 that sets a price cap on rice to ease off its rising prices with a mandated price of P41 a kilo for regular milled rice and P45 for well-milled rice.
Ocampo said this was the first payout for rice retailers in Bataan and they are waiting for directives from their main office as to the next handout.
Beneficiaries are required to bring with them two valid IDs, the photocopies with three signatures; business name registration and mayor’s permit.
The DSWD does the releasing of the funds under its sustainable livelihood program – economic relief subsidy.
“Ang role ng DTI kami ang nag-monitor ng mga rice retailers sa iba-ibang public market at nagprofile doon sa mga retailers. So, sa amin nanggaling ang mga listahan ng binigyan ngayon ng DSWD through their sustainable livelihood program,” Ocampo said.
Beneficiaries were grateful to government, especially to DSWD and DTI.
“Sobrang masaya kami unang-una malaking tulong sa amin. Noong mga nakaraang araw, buwan sobrang taas ng halaga ng bigas. Ngayon yung bale nalugi sa amin naibalik kaya nagpapasalamat ako,” rice retailer Rick Gatip of Balanga City said. 0)
