MMC head San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and MMDA Chairperson Atty. Don Artes convene the joint meeting of the Metro Manila and Regional Development Councils to discuss the ongoing rice price cap implementation on Tuesday, September 12, at the MMDA Headquarters in Pasig City. (Photo courtesy: MMDA)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The Metro Manila Council (MMC) unanimously passed MMC Resolution No. 23-12 Series of 2023, affirming the unwavering support of the mayors of the National Capital Region (NCR) for the implementation of Executive Order (EO) No. 39 on imposing mandated price ceilings on rice to combat hoarding, profiteering, smuggling, and cartelization.
Lawyer Don Artes, chairperson of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), who co-convened the joint meeting of the MMC and Regional Development Council on Tuesday at the MMDA Headquarters in Pasig City, expressed the full endorsement of Metro Manila’s mayors for the call of President Marcos to implement a price cap on rice.
Based on the resolution, the MMC “fully supports the issuance and implementation of Executive Order No. 39, entitled ‘Imposition of Mandated Price Ceiling on Rice‘.”
The government has already initiated the distribution of P15,000 in assistance to eligible rice retailers and traders in Metro Manila.
Artes said this support will continue as long as the necessary documentation is submitted by the affected sector.
Based on the monitoring and inspection conducted by Mayor Francis Zamora of San Juan City, Mayor Jeannie Sandoval of Malabon City, and Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano of Pasay City at their respective markets, rice retailers have been found to be compliant with EO 39, which was enforced on September 5.
The order mandates that the price of regular milled rice should not exceed P41 per kilogram, and well-milled rice should not surpass P45 per kilogram.
The mayors have also extended various forms of assistance to rice retailers within their jurisdictions.
In San Juan and Caloocan, additional financial aid and free rent for their market spaces have been provided. Meanwhile, Pasay City and Malabon City have offered livelihood assistance to their respective rice retailers.
“Hindi po kasi pare pareho ang sitwasyon ng mga LGUs kaya hindi po namin puwede standardize kasi mayroon pong pribado at public na mga markets, especially yung nasa pribado hindi namin puwede saklawan ‘yan so kanya kanya po talaga ng ordinansa na ginagawa po ng ating mga LGUs (The situation of the LGUs differs, so we cannot standardize because there are private and public markets, especially the private ones, we cannot meddle with how they run their business, so it’s up to our LGUs to come up with their respective measure),” Artes said.
Zamora, on his part, said the Metro Manila mayors are thankful for the compliance of the retailers.
“We will assess further as the weeks go by. ‘Pag makita naman natin na bumabalik na sa normal ang sitwasyon ng supply at ng presyo (Whenever we see the supply and price situation normalize), then we can also adjust whatever we are doing. The Department of Agriculture mentioned last Saturday na (that) by the end of September, magkakaroon ng (there will be an) increase sa (in) supply dahil nga po panahon na ng ani (due to the harvest season),” Zamora said.
“Ito po ay dinagdagan natin ng P5,000 mula sa local government. Kinausap na po natin ang private management ng palengke at binigyan po ang ating rice retailer ng isang buwang libreng renta para sa September (The local government provided an additional P5,000 in cash assistance. We also talked to the private management of a market, and it waived the rent for the affected retailers for September),” he said.
Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandova, on her part, said the city government is finding other ways to assist local rice retailers.
Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano said she relayed to the rice traders the aid that will be given by the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
“So far, compliant naman po sa ating monitoring sa mga LGUs. Compliant naman po mga nagtitinda (ng bigas). As far as NCR is concerned, medyo wala po tayong problema at mukhang ‘di po natin kailangan manghuli o mag penalize dahil sumusunod po yung mga retailers po natin dito sa NCR (So far, based on our monitoring of the LGUs, the rice retailers are compliant. As far as NCR is concerned, we did not see any issues, nor the need to arrest or penalize the retailers because they are compliant),” Artes added.
For more details about the rice price cap in Metro Manila LGUs, here are the numbers of their respective Public Information Offices:
Taguig City Public Information Office
8642-3588
Mandaluyong City Public Information Office
8534 1662
Navotas City Public Information Office
82818531; 8281-4174
Malabon City Public Information Office
281-4999 loc 5003; 2879380
Quezon City Public Affairs and Information Services Department
8988-4242
Las Pinas City Media Affairs and Public Information Office
88364366
Muntinlupa City Public Information Office
88622525
City of Manila Public Information Office
Caloocan City Public Information Office
8288-8811 loc 5336-5598 loc 2230
San Juan City Public Information Department
09063435888
Valenzuela City Public Information Office
83521000 loc 1138 1132
Pateros Public Information Office
286423390; 8424-8370 loc 107
Makati City Information and Community Relations Department
8870-1417
Marikina City Public Information Office
8646-6451
Pasay City Public Information Office
8831-6459
Paranaque City Public Information Office
88260011 / 88290866
Pasig City Public Information Office
8643 1111 loc 1621
In addition to endorsing EO 39, the joint meeting also covered discussions on the Single Ticketing System, the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, and collaborative projects with government agencies, private sectors, and other stakeholders.
This united support from Metro Manila’s local leaders underscores their commitment to ensuring fair and affordable access to rice for the residents of the National Capital Region.
The MMC is the governing board and policy making body of the MMDA, composed of the mayors of the 17 local government units in NCR. (PIA-NCR)
