The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to distribute the one-time cash assistance to sari-sari store owners, who are experiencing losses due to the rice price ceiling, starting this Monday, September 25.
In a press release posted on Sunday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said it was President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. who instructed the DSWD to include sari-sari store owners in its Sustainable Livelihood Program.
"In its update to the Office of the President, the DSWD said that it is set to distribute cash assistance to sari-sari store owners from September 25 to 29," the PCO said.
The beneficiaries will be identified through the list created by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Citing information from the DSWD, the PCO said about 6,161 micro and small rice retailers in local markets affected by the implementation of the rice price cap have so far received the one-time financial assistance worth P15,000.
The agency targets to help a total of 8,390 micro and small rice retailers throughout the country.
Earlier this month, Marcos issued an executive order (EO) mandating local markets to set the prices of regular milled rice and well-milled rice to ₱41 per kilogram and ₱45 per kilogram, respectively.
The Chief Executive earlier assured that the imposed rice price ceiling is only temporary and this may lifted eventually.
