Amid rice price caps, Cebu City mulls reviving task force on price monitoring

Rice sold at the Ramos Public Market. CDN Digital photo | Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu City Government wants to reconvene its task force in charge of monitoring price controls following Malacañang’s order to put price caps on rice.

Mayor Michael Rama on Thursday, September 7, said they want the task force to, among others, enforce President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order (EO) No. 39 which took effect last September 5.

“There should be no taking advantage of the price ceiling… while I’m not around,” he told reporters in a virtual press conference.

The mayor will be leaving the country for Russia beginning Friday, September 8, for a three-day economic forum.

Marcos Jr.’s EO No. 39 placed the price caps for regular-milled rice at P41 per kilogram. On the other hand, the price ceiling for well-milled rice is P45 per kilogram.

According to Rama, the task force, which was in response to the Cebu City Council’s recent resolution urging the executive department to reconvene the city’s task force on price monitoring and control, will be composed of representatives from the private sector and national government agencies.

These included members from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and the Department of Trade and Industry in Central Visayas (DTI-7).

“This will be done in coordination with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and DTI-7,” said Rama.

The city government tapped City Administrator and lawyer, Collin Rosell, to lead the task force.

On the other hand, Rama clarified that the task force will not only monitor price caps on rice but other products as well.

“It’s also a time to protect our consumers and retailers from opportunistic individuals,” he added. / dcb

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