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Gov’t asks retailers to ‘sacrifice’ for a while, DTI exec says amid rice price cap woes

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Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Vendors tend to their stalls selling rice at the Kamuning Market in Quezon City on August 9, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/business/09/02/20230809-rice-kamuning-market-jc-2.jpg"/><figcaption>Vendors tend to their stalls selling rice at the Kamuning Market in Quezon City on August 9, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The government is asking rice retailers to “sacrifice” for the good of the public for a while, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official said on Saturday, a day after small rice sellers complained of possible bankruptcy following Malacañang’s mandate to put a price cap on several kinds of the staple grain.To curb an alleged artificial shortage supposedly prompted by rice traders, the Palace released Executive Order No. 39, which placed a price ceiling of P41 per kilo for regular milled rice, and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/01/23/violators-of-rice-price-ceiling-to-face-penalties-dti">Violators of rice price ceiling to face penalties: DTI</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/02/23/cap-on-rice-prices-to-take-effect-sept-5-palace">Price ceiling of some rice varieties to take effect Sept. 5 — Palace</a></li></ul>“Hinihingi ng pamahalaan yung sakripisyo ng mga retailers na tumulong din sila sa mga mamamayan, sa nakakarami,” DTI Assistant Secretary Agaton Uvero said in a news forum in Quezon City.“Based sa computation namin puwede naman mabenta na hindi naman lugi pero wala lang kita,” he said. Uvero assured rice traders that the price ceiling would only be temporary as the government expects fresh imports of rice to arrive soon. The price policy is also expected to ease once the harvest season for rice in the Philippines begins, he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/25/23/rice-is-philippines-most-critical-problem-marcos-says">Rice is Philippines&#x27; &#x27;most critical problem,&#x27; Marcos says</a></li></ul>“Malinaw na temprorary lang ito. This is not a solution to the problem,” he said.“This is a temporary measure and sooner rather than later maaayos din po ito,” he added.The DTI official clarified that the price cap on rice would take effect on September 5, a day after the policy is published on broadsheets.The DTI, the Department of Agriculture, as well as local government units are expected to deploy official in primary markets next week to monitor the compliance of rice retailers.Those who will sell rice beyond the specified price limit would receive notices from the government, and may possibly face fines ranging from P5,000 to P1 million, Uvero said.The government is in the process of conceptualizing possible aid packages for micro, small and medium rice retailers who will be affected by the policy, he said.“May pinaguusapan na subsidies but these are still in the works,” he said.The price cap was placed after studies showed that rise in rice prices in the Philippines may be artificial, the DTI executive said.“Excessive, extraordinary yung price surge. Masyadong kakaiba yung pagtaas ng bigas,” he said.“Malinaw na may ebidensya ng hoarding, profiteering and price manipulation. Kailangan imbestigahan, puntahan yung mga bodega, puntahan itong mga ito,” he said.The Federation of Free Farmers said they were &quot;<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/02/23/farmers-group-worried-about-marcos-jrs-cap-on-rice-prices">very worried</a>&quot; about the order, as farmers from Pampanga and Sultan Kudarat already reported a P3 per kilogram decrease in palay prices. &quot;Lalong bababa ang presyo ng palay. So kung kailan natin kailangan ng mas malaking production at maeengganyo ang mga magsasaka na magtanim — parang mali naman ang mensahe na ipinapalabas ng EO,&quot; said Raul Montemayor, FFF&#x27;s national manager. &quot;Mga 20 percent reduction yan in one day. Yung paper value ng kanilang ani na hindi pa inaani, bumagsak na ng 20 percent,&quot; Montemayor added. &quot;Sana pag-isipan nila mabuti yung epekto nito dahil kung totoo na nagmamanipula sa merkado at mayroon namang sapat na suplay, dapat &#x27;yun ang tugisin, hindi na farmer.&quot;Last month, DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual drew flak for saying that Filipinos should “adjust” their diet and consume less rice as the prices of the staple grain continue to soar in the Philippines.<div>— with a report from Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lRg2nVyqK8A?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

DTI assured rice traders that the price ceiling would only be temporary as the government expects fresh imports of rice to arrive soon. 

Gov’t asks retailers to ‘sacrifice’ for a while, DTI exec says amid rice price cap woes

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Gov’t asks retailers to ‘sacrifice’ for a while, DTI exec says amid rice price cap woes

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 02, 2023 12:12 PM PHT

|

Updated September 02, 2023 08:50 PM PHT

Read More:

DTI

rice

Department of Trade and Industry

price cap

rice prices

Agaton Uvero

Department of Agriculture

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