Five rice retailer in Puerto Princesa were granted a financial aid of P15,000 today as a result of their voluntary adherence to Executive Order (EO) No. 39, which was issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The EO mandates that the price of milled rice should be fixed at P41 per kilogram, while the price of well-milled rice should be set at P45 per kilogram.
Rice retailers Edwin Ayco, Lorenzo Magpantay, Nenita Lim, Paquita Reyes, and Jana Lois Viernes have all been awarded this financial help as a token of appreciation for the fact that they have complied with the directive.
According to statement released by the City Information Office (CIO), they represent the initial batch of sellers to lower the prices of rice.
The CIO said a message from Mayor Lucilo Bayron, issued through City Administrator Atty. Arnel Pedrosa, commends the initiative of these five rice stores in obeying the president’s executive order to assist Puerto Princesa’s impoverished residents.
The mayor underlined that they serve as a model for other rice sellers to follow.
To identify worthy receivers of the subsidy, officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) monitored and interviewed traders at the markets from September 5 to 8.
They forwarded the names of those who were eligible to the DTI’s main office, which worked with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure that the subsidy was distributed as quickly as possible.
The P15,000 financial aid is a lifeline for small rice retailers affected by the price decreases of the rice varieties.
The business owners expressed their gratitude for the financial assistance they received, which was handed to them by Maria Theresa Donato, DSWD Provincial Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.
The event was witnessed by DTI Palawan Director Hazel Salvador, City DILG Director Eufronio Forones Jr., Jennifer Reyes from the Department of Agriculture, and Pedrosa.
The simple financial assistance program took place at the Atrium of the New Green City Hall.
