434 Bohol micro rice retailers

get P15K cash aid from DSWD

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 29 (PIA) –Four-hundred 34 micro rice retailers who have been diligently helping Boholanos surf through the hard times by selling the mandated rice price ceiling gathered at the Poblacion II covered court September 29 and received their P15,000 cash assistance payout from the government.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through Social Welfare And Development (SWAD) Bohol officer Jimmy Crusio, along with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bohol Officer In Charge Vierna Teresa Ligan and City Mayor Jane Cajes-Yap received the micro rice retailers from 24 towns who came to Tagbilaran City for that short relief after sacrificing their profits just to be able to offer the mandated rice price cap which the president issued a few weeks ago.

It may be recalled that, upon the recommendation of the DTI and Department of Agriculture, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, issued Executive Order No 39, in response to the sudden surge in retail price of rice giving ordinary Filipinos undue economic strain.

In the DTI and DA joint recommendation, both agencies pushed for the P41 price ceiling for regular milled rice and P45 for the well milled rice.

Tasked to monitor and implement the same, the DTI said they also partnered with local price coordinating councils to evaluate compliance by small scale retailers, and then followed the validations, shared DTI Bohol’s Ligan.

Initially, there were 6 retailers who were first validated and were given the first batch of those who were found to be complaint with the price cap, DTI said.

“And then, we paid 317 micro rice retailers and disbursed a total of P4,755 M representing the region’s first and second payout,” DSWD shared.

Those who could qualify then were those small time rice retailers who have at least a business name and registration from the DTI, and then just recently, we have in the list those who own at least a mayor’s permit to operate, Ligan added.

In Bohol, with P15,000 for each of the 434 micro retailers, the government spent some P6.51 M, via the DSWD, through its Sustainable Livelihood Program’s (SLP) 29.79M assistance funds for the entire central Visayas.

Micro rice retailers in Cebu, on the other hand, some 1,103 of them got allocated with 16.545M while Negros Oriental’s 405 beneficiaries would be using up another P6M for the DSWDs funds.

Of Bohol towns, monitored with the widest compliance was Guindulman, with 65 retailers getting the pay-out, followed by Ubay at 60 retailers and then Lila with 35 complaint retailers.

We have not received any instructions for the Central Office as to the next batch but we have committed to continue the monitoring, evaluation and validation, according to the DTI, so that those retailers who have implemented and have not received their cash assistance either from the DSWD Assistance to Individuals In Crisis Situations (AICS) or SLP.

This third payout only included the 434 rice retailers from towns of Alburquerque, Anda, Antequera, Baclayon, Batuan, Bilar, Calape, Carmen, Catigbian, Clarin, Dagohoy, Dimiao, Guindulman, Lila, Loay, Sagbayan, San Isidro, San Miguel, Sierra Bullones, Tagbilaran, Talibon, Trinidad, Ubay and Valencia.

Before they received their cash aids, the retailers signed a memorandum of undertaking that attests that the retailers are qualified to receive the assistance, that they were directly engaged or offering rice for sale and hat they have been compliant with the price ceilings, explained Crucio, how was accompanied by a team of disbursing officers to facilitate the release of the assistance.

We do hope that with the P15K cash assistance, you would add up to your capital and continue your service to the Boholanos, urged DTI’s Jerome Gabin. (PIA-7/Bohol)