CABARROGUIS, Quirino (PIA) -- Micro-rice retailers here expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for lifting Executive OOrder 39, series of 2023, mandating price ceilings on regular-milled-rice and well-milled rice at P41.00/kg and P45.00/kg, respectively. 

Rosemarie Sabiwang, owner of Rosemarie Sari-Sari Store and one of the beneficiaries, said the P15,000.00 relief assistance helped her a lot in coping with her losses. 

Sabiwang said when she received the said executive order, she was worried about where to buy rice at a low price to meet the rice price cap of P41 and P45 per kilogram, but nevertheless, she followed what was stated in the EO. 

“When I learned that the EO has been lifted, I felt more relieved because we, the rice retailers, can at least recover from our losses since the P15,000.00 relief assistance was not really sufficient,” Sabiwang said. 

Another beneficiary, Avelma Masa, who is a rice retailer at Cabarroguis public market, said although the P15,000.00 assistance is only good for a few bags of rice, she is still very thankful for the unexpected assistance from the government. 

“I am thankful because we have a government that helps us, and we can return the favor by selling rice at reasonable prices to our fellow consumers,” Masa said.

Masa, however, said the government needs to implement programs that will provide a lasting solution to the soaring prices of rice. 

“Kung maaari sana magbenta ang gobyerno sa amin ng bigas na mura para meron din kaming maitindang bigas na mura, halimbawa mula sa NFA o DA,” Masa said. 

Masa likewise asked the government to prioritize the small rice retailers since they are the ones who sell affordable rice in the market.

Sabiwang and Masa were among the two batches of rice retailers who benefited from the Cash Assistance for Micro Rice Retailers Payout . 

A total of 242 out of the 256 identified beneficiaries or 94.53% have already received the subsidy and the remaining beneficiaries are still waiting for the next schedule of payout. (ALM/TCB/PIA-2, Quirino)