BACOLOD City – Sari-sari stores in Negros Occidental province, which sell rice and comply with the price cap, received cash assistance on Sept. 28.
A total of 335 sari-sari store owners each received P15,000 in financial aid, according to Reginald Hudierez, the Consumer Protection Head of the Department of Trade and Industry – Negros Occidental.
Among them, 42 store owners are from Bacolod, the capital city of the province, Hudierez added.
This marks the third batch of beneficiaries in the province to receive this one-time rice aid.
The initiative is part of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Sustainable Livelihood Program.
The first distribution occurred at the Food Terminal Market on Sept. 13, benefiting 37 store owners, while the second took place at the Bacolod City Government Center on Sept. 20, benefiting 200 owners.
In contrast to the previous distributions, the latest aid was distributed at three different venues. This strategy aimed to accommodate beneficiaries without necessitating extensive travel.
Beneficiaries from the northern region received their aid in Escalante City; those in the central region, in Bacolod City; and those from the southern region, in Kabankalan City.
Hudierez mentioned that those who previously received aid have consistently adhered to the price cap.
Furthermore, he emphasized that monitoring would persist until the price ceiling is eventually lifted. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
