Incentives for rice retailers in Mandaue City are being considered by the city government. | Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The Mandaue City government plans to give incentives to rice sellers renting stalls at the Mandaue City Public Market.
City Councilor Jennifer Del Mar, chairperson of the Committee on Trade and Industry, said that the city would help them alleviate the effects of the enforcement of Executive Order (EO) No. 39 of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., mandating the price ceiling of rice which was also adopted by the city government.
READ: DSWD-7 readies P15,000 cash aid for rice retailers in CV
Plans for the incentives have yet to be finalized
“Para sad sa ilaha nga makarecover sad sila if they think nga naay mawala sad sa ilaha with this EO. At least, we can help them on that side,” said Del Mar.
(This is for them so that they can recover if they think that they will lose something with this EO. At least, we can help them on that side.)
Del Mar said though, that the plan had yet to be finalized and that the incentives had yet to be determined.
She also said that the City Council might conduct a special session on this issue one of these days.
READ: DSWD caps aid to small rice retailers at P15,000
Rice retailers on incentive plans
She, however, clarified that the incentives would only lessen the rental fee and that it would not be waived.
The rental fee for the stalls selling rice is P50 daily. Most of the rice sellers at the public market are renting more than one stall, some even are renting eight stalls to store more sacks of rice.
Rice sellers Nieves Auman and Flor Sumalinog said that the incentives would be a very big help since they were renting eight stalls.
READ: Cops to monitor defiant rice retailers in Central Visayas
Waiting also for national subsidy
Sumalinog said that her sales had already decreased.
“Maayo nuon, (kay) ang rental daily man na. Unta naa say subsidy sa national kay ang amoang bugas wala pa gyud modown,” said Auman.
(That is good (because) our rental is really daily. And I hope there is a subsidy from the national government because the prices of our rice have not yet gone down.)
READ: Price monitoring task force of Cebu City to focus on monitoring price caps in markets
Selling rice is about survival
“Mas maayo nuon kay dako-dako gyud ko og bayrunon (sa rental fee). Survival (sad) kaayo ron ang pagpaninda. Minus ang halin unya uban tricycle dili kasulod highway lahi sa una,” said Sumalinog.
(This is good because we have to pay a bigger amount (for our rental fee). Selling today is really survival. Our sales have gone down and other tricycles cannot enter the highway unlike before.)
Prices of rice at the city public market range from P48 to P65 depending on the variety.
The sellers said that they still could not offer the P41 and P45 ceiling prices mandated by Marcos’ EO.
READ: PH economic execs on rice price cap: Necessary measures are needed
EO 39
Under EO 39, the price cap for regular milled rice is P41 per kilo and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice.
Auman said last Sept. 2, when he bought his stocks, the price of the rice sold by her supplier is still high. She buys her supplies monthly.
Auman said that she always prepares her receipt and show them to the personnel from the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, and the police among others, whenever they inspect the market.
READ: Cops to monitor defiant rice retailers in Central Visayas
Supplier selling at lower price
On the other hand, Sumalinog said that she was able to contact a supplier that would sell a bit lower price.
“Hopefully, madeliver to karun kay para maka-display nami….Dili madala og ibaligya og P41, P45 hinuon,” said. Sumalinog.
(Hopefully, those could be delivered now so that we can have a display now…. We still cannot sell them at P41 to P45.)