AROUND P29 million in cash aid has been disbursed to nearly 2,000 sari-sari store owners in Central Visayas who were affected by the implementation of Executive Order (EO) 39, which imposed mandated price ceilings on regular and well-milled rice.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s EO 39, which sets a price ceiling for regular-milled rice at P41 per kilo and well-milled rice at P45 per kilo, aims to curb the high prices of rice in the market.
According to data provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7, a total of 1,986 beneficiaries were identified for simultaneous payout on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.
The profiling of eligible rice retailers was done by the Department of Trade and Industry, while the distribution was led by the DSWD 7 through its Sustainable Livelihood Program.
Of the total identified beneficiaries, 434 are from Bohol; 405, Negros Oriental; 44, Siquijor; and 1,103, Cebu. Each of the beneficiaries is entitled to receive P15,000 in cash aid.
In Cebu, the majority of profiled beneficiaries are from Balamban with 341 beneficiaries; Mandaue, 159; Carcar City, 148; and Pinamungajan, 112.
Minglanilla had 22 recipients; Talisay City, 42; City of Naga, eight; Argao, three; Oslob- 45; Toledo City, three; Daanbantayan, 99; Danao City, eight; Catmon, two; Cordova- 10; Alcantara, 36; Malabuyoc, 30; and Moalboal, 35.
Payout centers
Leah Quintana, head of the information office of the DSWD 7, told SunStar Cebu last Friday, that they have strategically placed payout centers in different areas to effectively conduct the payouts in the region.
In Cebu, distribution efforts have been carried out in at least nine payout centers in Balamban, Pinamungajan, Daanbantayan, Mandaue City, Moalboal, and Carcar City. These payout cites catered to beneficiaries from neighboring towns and cities.
Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental have one payout center each.
The recent distribution carried out by the DSWD 7 last Friday marked the third disbursement for retailers affected by the rice price cap order.
The initial and second allocations of cash subsidies, which targeted small-scale rice retailers in wet markets, were done on Sept. 14 and Sept. 22.
Unclaimed aid
The DSWD 7, however, said some beneficiaries did not claim their aid on the payout schedule.
It said 81 beneficiaries in Bohol are yet to claim the cash aid, while two beneficiaries also did not show up in Siquijor. The agency has yet to finalize the number of beneficiaries with unclaimed aid in Cebu and Negros Oriental.
Quintana said on Sunday, Oct. 1, that there are no additional instructions yet regarding how claimants can receive their P15,000 cash subsidies or if there will be another round of payouts.
Emma Patalinghug, head of the promotive services division of the DSWD 7, said last Tuesday, Sept. 26, that unclaimed funds will be remitted back to the national treasury.
She added that out of the 325 identified beneficiaries, only 310 had collected their cash assistance during the first and second payouts, during which DSWD 7 distributed a total of P4,650,000 in cash.