BACOLOD City – The city government has started selling yesterday, Sept. 6, cheaper, well-milled rice to retailers in three major markets – Libertad, Burgos and Central.
Romeo Carlos Ting Jr., Bacolod City’s legal officer, said this is in response to rice retailers who expressed fear of incurring heavy losses following the implementation of Executive Order (EO) No. 39 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently.
The presidential order set a price ceiling on regular and well-milled rice, and this took effect on Tuesday, Sept. 5. It set the price of regular milled rice to be at a maximum of P41 per kilogram, while that of well-milled rice is P45 per kilogram.
Ting said the measure aimed to ensure that the well-milled rice sold by retailers was within the price cap.
The city allocated 150 sacks, or 50 sacks per major market, and 10 sacks at most per retailer.
If this becomes successful, the city legal officer said the program will be implemented down to the barangays.
According to Malacañang, EO No. 39 was in response to the rising prices of rice caused by illegal price manipulation and global events such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India’s ban on rice exportation, and rising oil prices.
The President has directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to jointly monitor the prices of rice for effective implementation of the order and to prevent hoarding, profiteering and other illegal activities.
The price ceiling will remain in effect until lifted by the President upon the recommendation of the Price Coordinating Councils, the DA of which he is the acting secretary, or the DTI./PN
