Department of
the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary
Benhur Abalos met today
with Metro Manila mayors and market masters/
administrators of public
and private markets to
enlist their cooperation in
helping the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI)
and the Department of
Agriculture (DA) enforce
President Ferdinand R.
Marcos, Jr.’s directive of
imposing mandated price
ceilings on rice.
Executive Order
No. 39 issued by Malacañang on August 31 set
the mandated price ceilings for regular milled rice
at ₱41 per kilogram and
well-milled rice at ₱45 per
kilogram nationwide upon
the recommendation of
DTI and DA.
Earlier, DA and
DTI said that despite stable and sufficient rice
supply, there are reports
of alleged illegal price manipulation through hoarding by opportunistic traders and collusion among
industry cartels which
caused a surge in the prices of rice.
“Dahil sa kalokohan ng iilang mga tao na
hinohoard at minamanipulate ang presyo ng bigas,
galit na galit ang ating
Presidente kaya ipapatupad ngayon ang mandated price ceilings sa bigas,” Abalos said.
During the meeting presided by the DILG
Secretary and Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) Acting
Chairman Atty. Don Artes,
Metro local chief executives who were present
have committed their support in the implementation
of EO 39 by convening
their local price coordinating councils (LPCCs) and
making them functional,
and helping in the widest
dissemination of EO 39 in
their respective LGUs.
Among those
who attended the meeting were Mayor Jeannie
Sandoval of Malabon
City, Mayor John Reynald Tiangco of Navotas
City, Mayor Ike Ponce of
Pateros, and Mayor Wes
Gatchalian of Valenzuela
City.
Abalos said he
counts on the help of market masters all over the
country who will play a key
role in the effective implementation of the Presidential directive on rice prices
cap.
“Susi ang market
masters dito. Magtulungan
tayong lahat para siguruhing sinusunod ang price
ceilings sa bigas, kasama
ang pulis at ang MMDA.
Ang importante ay magkaroon ng tuloy-tuloy na
supply ng bigas sa tamang
presyo,” he said.
At the same time,
Abalos directed the Philippine National Police to
extend assistance to the
DA, DTI, and LGUs in the
enforcement of EO 39 and
in the performance of their
regulatory and executive
powers.
