CALAMBA CITY,
Laguna (PIA) — Several rice retailers have appealed to rice traders and
the government for lower
rice prices so they can sell
it at prices mandated by
Executive Order No. 39.
At the Lucena
City Public Market, regular
and well-milled rice prices still range from P52 to
P55 as rice retailers could
not fetch lower-priced rice
from their suppliers.
“We will comply if
we are able to acquire that
kind of rice at such low
prices. As retailers, our
capital in rice is already
high, so how can we sell it
at such cheap prices,” said
Flor Magnaye, a rice retailer at Lucena City Public
Market.
She also asked
the government to allow
them to consume their existing rice stocks to avoid
losses from their invested
capital.
“We are hoping that (rice supply with
cheaper prices) will arrive
soon… as retailers, it’s difficult to explain to people
when the news is already
out that there is rice priced
at P41 to P45 but we haven’t received any at that
low cost. If we sell at a low
price but still suffer a big
loss, what will happen to
us,” Magnaye explained.
M e a n w h i l e ,
Mercy Natividad, a rice
retailer in Bagong Pook
Rosario, Batangas, said
they are willing to sell
even for a minimal profit
margin if they can obtain
lower-priced rice from the
traders.
“(The price ceiling) will bring some positive effects if retailers can
get rice at low prices. We
just have to make a small
profit and still comply with
the order,” Natividad said.
Lanie Taclino, a
rice retailer from Calamba City, Laguna, said that
while the mandated price
ceiling would benefit consumers, she is concerned
about potential losses for
retailers.
“We support the
President’s efforts because it will help consumers. But how can we sell
rice at P41 to P45 if the
supplier’s price is high.
We hope that retailers like
us can get low-priced rice
so that we can sell it at the
price set by the Executive
Order,” she added.
Regional agencies in Calabarzon have
started monitoring rice
retailers in public markets
to ensure their compliance
with the price ceiling set
on rice.
Milo Delos
Reyes, Department of Agriculture (DA) Director in
Calabarzon, said a monitoring team composed
of DA and Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI)
representatives will conduct daily market monitoring to ensure rice retailers’
compliance with Executive
Order No. 39.
“We will visit selected public markets in
the region every day to
monitor the prices of wellmilled and regular milled
rice,” said delos Reyes.
The regional agriculture chief added that
the Department of the
Interior and Local Government and the National
Food Authority would also
be part of the monitoring
team to provide technical
assistance.
Executive Order
No. 39, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on August 31, set
the price ceiling for regular
milled rice at P41 per kilo
and P45 per kilo for wellmilled rice.
Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo
Pascual had warned that
those violating the price
ceiling could face penalties of P5,000 to as high
as P1 million under the
Price Act. He said violators could also face imprisonment for not less
than a year or more than
ten years.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier
assured assistance to rice
retailers and traders who
will be affected by the implementation of EO 39.
The President
has also directed the Department of Social Welfare
and Development, DTI
and DA to expedite assistance to small rice retailers
affected by the directive.
The President
cited the need for government intervention to address the rising rice prices
in the market, stressing
that illegal activities of
rice hoarders, cartels, and
smugglers are affecting
the economy and the Filipino people.
