Subsidy for rice retailers now P37.5M in WV

Iloilo City-The subsidy for rice retailers has now reached Php37.5 million in Western Visayas.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) has disbursed the SLP-Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP-ERS) to 2,504 micro rice retailers and sari sari store owners identified by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Region VI, since the initial payout on September 13, 2023.

The total amount disbursed during the three payouts amounted to Php 37,560,000.

The first round of payouts comprised 251 recipients, the second round had 967 recipients, and the third round included 1,286 recipients.

These one-time cash grants of Php 15,000 were provided to micro rice retailers who were adversely affected by the imposition of price ceilings on rice, as per Executive Order 39, series of 2023.

The subsidy recipients include both registered and unregistered micro rice retailers operating in wet markets, public markets, and other areas accessible to the public and sari-sari store owners, as identified by DTI.

The distribution of recipients per province, since the first payout, is as follows: Aklan, 414; Antique, 339; Capiz, 358; Iloilo, 672; Iloilo City, 32; Guimaras, 128; and Negros Occidental, 561.

Upon disbursing the SLP-ERS to eligible beneficiaries, the DSWD will conduct monitoring to ensure the proper utilization of the subsidy./dswd6/Nicole Ebojo