BY JENNY ROSE TOLEDO
ILOILO City – Fourteen micro rice retailers in this city affected by the government-imposed price cap received their P15,000 one-time subsidy yesterday, Sept. 13.
Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 (DSWD-6) director Atty. Carmelo Nochete and Department of Trade and Industry 6 (DTI-6) officer-in-charge director Ermelinda Pollentes distributed the cash assistance at the Iloilo City Hall.
According to Nochete, the 14 beneficiaries from the city were part of the 250 recipients in the region.
“The DTI identified 250 beneficiaries of P15,000 each, so there is a total of P3.75 million assistance,” Nochete said.
Also present during the distribution were Iloilo City’s Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon and DSWD-6 Sustainable Livelihood Program – Economic Relief Subsidy focal person Mary Ann Masculino.
The DSWD will continue to monitor the beneficiaries’ compliance with Executive Order (EO) No. 39, or the price ceiling on rice, particularly on regular milled rice at P41 per kilogram and well-milled rice at P45 per kilogram.
“They are being monitored for the duration of EO No. 39, and they should comply with the price ceiling,” Nochete added.
Aside from 14 rice retailers in Iloilo City, the DSWD distributed the P15,000 subsidy in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental yesterday afternoon.
The remaining provinces of Capiz, Antique, Aklan, and Guimaras are scheduled to have the distribution today, Sept. 14./PN
