ILOILO City – Beginning today, small rice retailers in Western Visayas affected by the government-imposed price cap will receive their P15,000 one-time subsidy.
Rice retailers in the city and province of Iloilo, Bacolod City and Negros Occidental will be covered today while those in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Guimaras will get theirs on Thursday, Sept. 14.
The distribution will be held only for two days in compliance with the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) ban on the disbursement of public funds during this barangay election period, according to Director Carmelo Nochete of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6.
“May election ban kita on Sept. 15. Kon indi naton mahatag sa Sept. 14, indi na kita makahatag until Oct. 30,” Nochete told Panay News yesterday morning.
Comelec has updated its guidelines on social welfare projects and public works ban in relation to the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
The guidelines cover the prohibition on the release, disbursement, or expenditure of public funds for social welfare projects, construction of public works, and delivery of materials for public works in relation to the BSKE, pursuant to Resolution No. 10944, as follows:
* For social welfare projects of national, regional, provincial, and local government units (LGUs) and those of government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) and their subsidiaries, the period of prohibition is from Sept. 15, 2023, to Oct. 30, 2023, except for Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), the distribution of which is prohibited from Oct. 20 to 30, 2023; and
* For social welfare projects that will be implemented by the barangay, the period of prohibition is from Oct. 20 to 30, 2023.
Comelec said exempted from the prohibition of AICS distribution, however, are those given to qualified individuals, such as, but not limited to, basic needs in the form of food, transportation, medical, educational, burial, and other similar assistance.
Likewise, expressly exempt from these prohibitions without the need for prior authority from the commission are the release and expenditure of public funds for relief or other goods to be distributed to the affected individuals and/or families in cases of calamities or disasters.
Requests for exemption and exception for projects, activities, and programs pertaining to social welfare and services must be submitted to the Law Department via email, personal submission, or courier no later than Sept. 1, 2023.
250 WV rice retailers to receive cash aid
DWSD confirmed that 250 small rice retailers in the region will receive the aid.
Will this number increase?
Nochete explained that it depends on the list provided by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which was mandated to profile and identify the beneficiaries.
“Ang DSWD is dependent on the list provided by the DTI. Ang DTI may listahan kay sila ang may capability sa pag-determine kon sin-o ang entitled nga hatagan sang subsidy,” he said.
The DWSD-6 was allotted P3.75 million for subsidizing the 250 small rice retailers.
“Ini ya bilang subsidy sang ila kapierdehan sa pagbakal sang bugas nga siguro gina-presume naton nga ginabakal nila sa mahal nga presyo tapos subong gina-regulate sila sa P41 or P45. So, bulig ina sa ila capital,” added Nochete.
The DTI-6 began profiling rice retailers on Sept. 5.
DTI and the Department of Agriculture, during the profiling, asked for, among others, the following data:
* stocks on hand
* source of supply
* how long do supplies last
* prices offered by wholesalers
* estimated possible losses incurred
Small rice retailers react
“Better than none,” agreed most rice retailers on the P15,000 subsidy.
Donabel Mesias from Iloilo Terminal Market said before Executive Order No. 39, her employer had purchased local rice at a higher cost, which the P41 per kilogram on regular milled and P45 per kilogram on well-milled price caps could not cover.
DTI personnel recently inspected the compliance of their stall, and they are currently waiting for information on whether or not they will be receiving the aid.
Renato Palmita, also a rice retailer from Iloilo Terminal Market, said the same.
“Nakakadto na sila diri. Nagahulat na lang kami nga tawgan,” he said. “Daku ang pierde pero kay may executive order ti gin-follow namon. Kon may assistance sila nga ihatag, salamat.”
Meanwhile, Florencia Solas said she immediately implemented the price cap on local rice and was at least glad to see her consumers thankful for the lower prices.
But on the P15,000 cash aid, she said: “Kon sa akon gid kulang lang gid ran ka tama.”/PN
