
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Sustainable Livelihood Program – Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP-ERS) has disbursed P13,920,000 to 928 rice retailers in Western Visayas as part of the second wave of payouts, bringing the total amount released to P17,685,000.
Micro rice retailers affected of Executive Order 39, Series of 2023, or the imposition of the mandated price ceilings on rice, received a one-time subsidy of P 15,000.
The recipients of the cash assistance included both registered and unregistered micro rice retailers identified by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), a DSWD press release said.
The breakdown of recipients for the second batch of payouts is as follows: Aklan – 97, Antique – 165, Capiz – 172, Iloilo Province – 269, Iloilo City – 4, Guimaras – 17 and Negros – 204, the DSWD said.
To date, a total of 1,179 micro rice retailers from Region 6 have received a combined sum of P17,685,000, it added.
The SLP-ERS is initiated by the Sustainable Livelihood Program to support the President’s initiative to stabilize rice prices in the country and provide limited economic relief to vulnerable micro rice retailers affected by the imposed price ceiling and the freezing of rice prices, the press release said.
The DSWD will also distribute cash assistance to sari-sari (retail) store owners who are affected by the implementation of the mandated price cap on rice.
In a statement on Sunday, the Presidential Communications Office said the DSWD, based on its report to the Office of the President, is set to distribute cash assistance to sari-sari store owners from Sept. 25 to 29.
DSWD is coordinating with the DTI to identify the beneficiaries.
Last week, the DSWD announced that sari-sari stores outside wet and public markets selling rice are eligible for a P5,000 SLP subsidy.*