Seventeen members of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) have signed a resolution expressing their support to the controversial Executive Order No. 39 which sets a price cap on some varieties of rice in the country.
In a press conference held after the signing ceremonies at the MMDA main office, MMC chairman and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said the Metro Manila mayors deemed that the implementation of the EO No. 39 is the best alternative as of this time to stabilize prices of rice products in the public markets.
“All of these are just temporary,” Zamora stressed, adding that the harvest season is just around the corner which will help in lowering the price of this basic commodity.
According to Malabon City Mayor Jean Sandoval, they are prioritizing their constituents in getting immediate assistance from the government after they were affected by the EO No. 39 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin last August 31.
“First and foremost, for us now is to help our consumers, our constituents for them to be able to buy affordable rice products,” Sandoval explained in Filipino.
Before the signing of the resolution, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairman Atty. Don Artes disclosed that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has started coordinating with the local government units for the distribution of the P6 billion livelihood grant to 5,942 registered rice retailers.
As of yesterday, only 474 rice retailers have so far received financial assistance amounting to some P7.5 million. They are from San Juan, Caloocan, Quezon City, Paranaque, Navotas and some municipalities and cities in Zamboanga del Sur.
Artes advised the micro rice retailers to complete the requirements needed by the DTI, including business permit, for the quick release of the P15,000 fund assistance from the government.
They must also be registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an authorized rice retailer.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), on the other hand, is also helping in the distribution of the livelihood assistance using its own network to reach out to the rice retailers in the different parts of the country.
Artes also disclosed that the local government executives of San Juan and Mandaluyong have signed an ordinance, giving free rent on stalls of micro retailers in their respective public markets in view of the prevailing crisis on rice products.