LEGAZPI CITY – On September 13-14, 2023, four hundred forty-six (446) micro rice retailers in Bicol received PHP15,000 each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 5 as part of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (cash assistance for micro rice retailers) in support of the implementation of Executive Order No. 39.

The cash distribution covered the provinces of Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Masbate, and Catanduanes.

These beneficiaries were profiled and validated by the DTI as eligible recipients of the cash assistance, as mandated by the Presidential directive relative to the implementation of EO 39.

As of date, DTI Region V continues to validate more rice retailers to be enlisted in the succeeding cash assistance distribution alongside the day-today monitoring activities to ensure that micro rice retailers are complying with the price ceiling set by EO 39, which is PHP41/kilogram for regular-milled rice and PHP45/kilogram for well-milled rice. ♦

Date of release: 18 September 2023