Small rice retailers get govt. aid

CEBU CITY – A total of 1,103 WQEPP VMGI VIXEMPIVW JVSQ localities in Cebu province received P15,000 subsidy from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Rose Mae Quiñanola, DSWD-CEBU provincial director, said the agency, along with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Interior and Local Government, conducted a province-wide simultaneous distribution of the subsidy.

“This subsidy is given to you as a way to assist your stores and encourage you to sell rice to the consumers based on the price ceiling order of President Ferdinand

Marcos Jr.,” Quinañola said.

Of the 1,103 rice retailers, the western town of Balamban got the highest number of recipients with 341, followed by Mandaue City, Carcar City, and PinamunKENER [MXL ERH respectively.

Other towns and cities that have rice retailers who received the PHP15,000 subsidy were Daanbantayan

3WPSF 8EPMWE] 'MX] (42), Alcantara (36), Moalboal (35), Malabuyoc (30), Minglanilla (22), Cordova

(ERES 'MX] 2EKE 'MX] %VKES 8SPIHS 'MX] and Catmon (2).

Rene Velasquez, a rice retailer from Mandaue City, thanked the national government for the cash assistance, which he said would help augment their small losses due to the price cap imposed on the retail price of regular and well-milled rice.

“Makatabang kaayo ni kay mi-us-os man ang presyo. Mahal ang palit sa bugas unya naa may price ceiling. Wa sad kaayoy stock mapalit,” Velasquez told reporters during the distribution at the Subangdaku gym in Mandaue.

He said he owns a rice retail store in Mandaue that strictly follow the P41 price cap for regular-milled rice and P45 for well-milled. (John Rey Saavedra)