A total of 1,103 micro and small-scale rice retailers from 17 localities in Cebu province received PHP15,000 subsidy from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday.

Rose Mae Quiñanola, DSWD-Cebu provincial director, said the agency, along with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Interior and Local Government, conducted a province-wide simultaneous distribution of the subsidy.

“This subsidy is given to you as a way to assist your stores and encourage you to sell rice to the consumers based on the price ceiling order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Quinañola told one of the 159 recipients from Mandaue City during the distribution at Subangdaku sports gymnasium.

Of the 1,103 rice retailers, the western town of Balamban got the highest number of recipients with 341, followed by Mandaue City, Carcar City, and Pinamungajan with 159, 148, and 112, respectively.

Other towns and cities that have rice retailers who received the PHP15,000 subsidy were Daanbantayan (99), Oslob (45), Talisay City (42), Alcantara (36), Moalboal (35), Malabuyoc (30), Minglanilla (22), Cordova (10), Danao City (8), Naga City (8), Argao (3), Toledo City (3), and Catmon (2).

Rene Velasquez, a rice retailer from Subangdaku, Mandaue City, thanked the national government for the cash assistance, which he said would help augment their small losses due to the price cap imposed on the retail price of regular and well-milled rice.

“Makatabang kaayo ni kay mi-us-os man ang presyo. Mahal ang palit sa bugas unya naa may price ceiling. Wa sad kaayoy stock mapalit (This is very helpful because the price has dropped. We buy at high price and there is a price ceiling. Unfortunately, there is not much stock to buy),” Velasquez told reporters during the distribution in Subangdaku gym.

He said he owns a rice retail store in Mandaue that strictly follow the PHP41 price cap for regular-milled rice and PHP45 for well-milled. (PNA)