CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) -- Through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and various Local Government Units (LGUs) spanning across the region, a total of 1,192 eligible rice retailers from Mimaropa received their first wave of cash assistance from the government. 

The said assistance is a form of temporary relief to aid entrepreneurs that were affected by the implementation of Executive Order No. 39, or rice price ceiling in the region.

According to DTI, with the compliance and joint efforts of those who were involved in the cash assistance distribution, Mimaropa has 100% payout rate for all the profiled rice retailers. 

A significant number of recipients originated from Occidental Mindoro, with 675 retailers in the province; 161 from Oriental Mindoro; 19 retailers from the five (5) municipalities of Marinduque; 79 retailers from the six (6) municipalities of Romblon; and 258 retailers from the 11 municipalities of Palawan.

Each retailer received P15,000 cash assistance under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of DSWD to alleviate the financial pressure on rice retailers, ensuring that they can continue to provide affordable rice to local communities.

Edna Flores, a rice retailer from the Naujan Public Market in Oriental Mindoro, thanked the government for their swift action in addressing their plight during the implementation of E.O. 39. Rice retailers such as her benefited from the cash assistance, and she hopes that there will be additional programs and projects by the government that will aid them in the long run. (JJGS/PIA MIMAROPA)