ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- Thirty small-time rice retailers in the island province of Guimaras, who were affected by the rice price cap, recently got a financial grant from the government.

Rodnie Bandiola, a rice retailer from Jordan town acknowledged the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program - Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP - ERS) amounting to P15,000.00.

“Bangud sa ginpanubo ang presyo sang bugas biskan mahal amon nga ginbakal pero nagbulig ang gobyerno para mabawi amon nga capital (Due to the decreased price of rice despite, buying it at a high price, the government has helped us to regain our capital fund),” Bandiola said in an interview.

Trade and Industry (DTI) underwent profiling and verification prior to the payout.

DTI-Guimaras OIC provincial head Romel Amihan said the first batch of beneficiaries hailed from the towns of Jordan, Buenavista, Sibunag, San Lorenzo, and Nueva Valencia.

“Nagconduct kita sang monitoring and profiling kag ginacheck naton nga kinahanglan ini sila may mga permits sa BPLO or Business Permits and Licensing Office. May mga business names sa DTI kag naga-engage gid sa pagbaligya sang mga bugas sa tagsa tags aka mga pwesto (We conducted monitoring and profiling and check the needed permits from the BPLO. They should also have a business name and they are engaged with rice selling in their respective stores,” Amihan explained.

According to DTI, the Executive Order 39 covers two classifications of rice such as the regular milled rice (RMR) sold at P41.00 per kilo and well milled rice (WMR) sold at P45.00 per kilo.

Amihan said that another batches of payout will be held depending on the availability of the funds from the DSWD.

Meanwhile, in an earlier statement, DSWD-6 regional director lawyear Carmelo Nochete vowed to fastrack the processing of the subsidy for micro rice retailers for them to avail the aid as soon as possible. (AAL/LMLE/PIA Iloilo)