NAVAL, Biliran (PIA) — The Local Government Unit of Naval (LGU-Naval) and the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Eastern Visayas gave P15,000 subsidy to some 13 and 12 micro rice retailers in this town, respectively.
The Financial Assistance for Micro Rice Retailers Payout held on September 13 at the Conference Room of the municipal town building was attended by Evangeline C. Iñigo of the DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) National Program Management Office of DSWD-8 Regional Director Grace Q. Subong and Regional Director Celerina T. Bato of the Department of Trade and Industry 8 (DTI-8), together with some officials and employees of DSWD, DTI, and LGU-Naval.
The financial assistance was granted to identified and verified micro rice retailers, who complied with the implementation of Executive Order (EO) 39, which put price cap at P41 per kilo for regular milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice.
DSWD handed P15,000 worth of check each to 12 micro rice retailers sourced from its Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP-ERS), while LGU-Naval handed certificates of eligibility to another set of 13 micro rice retailers as proof of payment of the P15,000, sourced from its special purpose appropriation for agriculture.
Regional Director Bato clarified in her message that the P15,000 subsidy is the maximum amount allowed for the affected rice retailers with the implementation of EO 39.
She also reported that Biliran province has the highest number of compliant rice retailers based on the monitoring they conducted at the start of the implementation of EO 39 frombSeptember 5 to September 8, 2023.
Meanwhile, Regional Director Subong emphasized in her message that the national government, through the DSWD, is monitoring the plight of the micro rice retailers relative to the implementation of EO 39.
She added that DSWD will ensure that the financial assistance will be used for its intended purpose.
For complaints and queries, contact Naval Municipal Agriculturist Laurence C. Mangco at telephone number (053) 507-8253, or Provincial Director Faustino V. Gayas Jr. of DTI-Biliran Provincial Office at telephone number (053) 507-9091. (MMP/RSV/PIA Biliran)
