(Eagle News)–President Bongbong Marcos on Tuesday, Sept. 12, said the “implementation and enforcement” of the mandated price caps on rice are going well.
“We just had a meeting about that this morning and, so far, the implementation and enforcement is going as well as we can expect,” the President said in a Presidential Communications Office statement.
According to the PCO, during that sectoral meeting, implementing agencies of Executive Order (EO) No. 39, which stipulates the price ceiling, gave their reports to the President.
While some small and micro rice retailers were hesitant to comply, the President said in the PCO statement that the distribution of livelihood grants, led by the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD), would help encourage them to do so.
The government has begun the distribution of cash grants amounting to P15,000.
“Last Saturday, nagsimula na sila na magbigay ng tulong sa ating mga retailer at para nagkaroon naman ng effect na ‘yung iba na ayaw magtinda muna ng kanilang bigas ay dahan-dahang lumalabas na dahil nakakasiguro sila na kahit papaano mayroon silang matatanggap para kapalit doon sa kung malulugi sila dahil sa pagbili nila ng (bigas sa) mataas na presyo,” the President said.
According to the PCO, based on the initial list provided by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), there are 5,942 affected rice retailers who have business permits in public and private markets.
The PCO said these may be considered for the grant based on the DTI’s vetting process.
The President has already said that the price caps on rice were only temporary amid the increasing rice prices, and would last until sufficient supply from local producers and imports are available.
