DTI Assures Continued Cash Aid Distribution to SLP-ERS Beneficiaries
Despite President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to lift Executive Order No. 39, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has confirmed that the distribution of one-time cash aid will continue until all Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP-ERS) beneficiaries listed by the DTI receive P15,000 each.
During the Consumer Welfare Month press conference held at the Board of Investments’ (BOI) Building on Wednesday, October 4, DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual stated, “Tatapusin [We will finish it] para naman fair ‘di ba, patas ang laban ika nga [to be fair with the SLP-ERS beneficiaries].”
As of September 29, a total of 14,480 out of the targeted 19,685 micro and small rice retailers nationwide have received P15,000 in cash assistance under the SLP-ERS program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This amounts to a total of P217.2 million in cash aid disbursed.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), 2,397 retailers have received a total of P35.955 million in cash assistance. The remaining 5,738 listed SLP-ERS beneficiaries in the NCR are scheduled to receive their payouts as of October 2.
The lifting of Executive Order No. 39 by Marcos was a result of increased compliance with the retail prices of rice, stable stocks supply, and favorable volume of rice imports. This executive order had imposed a price cap of P41 per kilogram for regular-milled rice (RMR) and P45 per kilogram for well-milled rice (WMR).
At the press conference, Fair Trade and Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Director Fhilip D. Sawali reported that the DTI and the Department of Agriculture (DA) had signed a joint memorandum of agreement on September 30, recommending the lifting of the Mandated Price Ceilings (MPCs) to the Office of the President.
Sawali highlighted the increasing compliance rate as one of the indicators considered by the two departments. This was reflected in the average selling prices, which are now close to the MPCs, while the average farmgate price is maintained at P14 to P23 per kilogram.
Based on FTEB monitoring, Sawali reported that “the nationwide compliance is steadily increasing at 81.46 percent as of September 28.”
The average selling prices for RMR and WMR were found to be P41.05 and P45.31 per kilogram, respectively.
Another contributing factor to the lifting of the MPCs is the sufficiency in the volume of rice imports, which indicates an improvement in the supply or inventory of rice in wet markets and supermarkets, according to Sawali.
The Department of Agriculture has delivered a total of 567,205 kilograms of rice since the implementation of Executive Order No. 39. These stocks were sold to rice retailers and KANDIWA outlets.
Additionally, under the Rice of Wheels for Retailers Program, a total of 7,081 rice sacks, each weighing 50 kilograms, were distributed nationwide.
Lastly, the decreasing world price of rice also played a role in the decision to lift the MPCs, as the country anticipates a good volume of rice imports.
“As we know, the harvest [season] of our local farmers has started from last month, September, to this October,” highlighted Sawali, further stating that both domestic and imported rice supplies are stable as expected.
Since September 26, a total of 456 rice containers have been released from the ports, with 168 from the Manila North Harbor and 288 from the Manila South Harbor. As of October 2, there are 597 remaining rice containers that are yet to be released.
