ASSISTANCE. Personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development implement the first batch of cash aid disbursement of PHP15,000 to rice retailers affected by Executive Order 39 or the rice price ceiling at Agora Market in San Juan City on Saturday (Sept. 9, 2023). A total of 48 registered small rice retailers received the assistance. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – Qualified micro rice retailers affected by the imposition of rice price ceilings began receiving their Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday.

During the simultaneous payout at the Commonwealth Market in Quezon City, Maypajo Market in Caloocan City, and Agora Market in San Juan City, the beneficiaries were provided with PHP15,000 cash to help them cope with the rice price cap.

Even sari-sari (retail) stores outside wet markets and public markets are eligible for a PHP5,000 subsidy, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a statement Friday.

“Unlicensed rice retailers and sari-sari store owners selling rice are also included in the SLP payout, which is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive that the list of beneficiaries should be inclusive,” he said.

Marcos ordered the SLP disbursement after the Sept. 5 effectivity of Executive Order 39, which mandates that regular milled rice be sold at PHP41 per kg. and well-milled rice at PHP45.

Gatchalian attended the payout in Quezon City with Mayor Joy Belmonte, DSWD Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau’s Director Phillip Sawali.

CASH AID. Personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development implement the first batch of cash aid disbursement of PHP15,000 to rice retailers affected by Executive Order 39 or the rice price ceiling at Commonwealth Market in Quezon City on Saturday (Sept. 9, 2023). EO 39 mandates that regular milled rice be sold at PHP41 per kg. and well-milled rice at PHP45. (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

In San Juan City where 48 retailers received the SLP aid, Mayor Francis Zamora was joined by DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual, DSWD Assistant Secretary Ada Colinco, and DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa.

Zamora said the city government would add PHP5,000 to the DSWD aid and that he spoke to the market building owner to waive next month’s rental for rice retailers.

A total of 136 micro rice retailers in Caloocan received their assistance from Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. and Mayor Dale Malapitan. (PNA)