Muntinlupa LGU postpones collection of rent from rice retailers affected by price cap
The Muntinlupa City government has imposed a moratorium on the collection of rental payment from stall holders engaged in the selling of rice as assistance to them following President Marcos' decision to put a price cap on regular and well-milled rice.

A sign put by a rice retailer in Muntinlupa that reads "lugi po kami dito" (we are losing money here) (Photo from Mayor Ruffy Biazon)

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon inspects a rice stall at the Muntinlupa Public Market (Photo from Mayor Ruffy Biazon)

The Muntinlupa City Council (Photo from the Muntinlupa City government)
Marcos issued Executive Order No. 39 on Aug. 31 imposing a mandated price ceiling of P41 per kilo for regular milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice. The rice price cap took effect on Sept. 5.
To assist the affected rice retailers, the Muntinlupa City Council passed Ordinance 2023-120 “imposing moratorium on rental payment for public stall holder in the retail business of selling rice during the effectivity of Executive Order No. 39 or the imposition of mandated price ceiling on rice.”
Mayor Ruffy Biazon signed the ordinance on Sept. 26, which became “effective immediately upon its approval.”
According to the ordinance, the President issued E.O. 39 “with an end view to put a price cap on rice in the effort to ease off the increasing price of the staple caused by illegal price manipulation such as hoarding by opportunistic traders and collusion among industry carters in the light of the lean season, as well as global events taking place beyond the Philippines' control, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India's ban on rice exportation, and the unpredictability of oil prices in the world market, among other factors, have caused an alarming increase in the retail prices of rice/”
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued Memorandum Circular No. 2023-131 for mayors to assist and ensure the effective regulation of the price of rice through “regular inspections of public and private markets, as well as rice warehouses; activation of hotlines, consumer complaints desk, and Timbangan ng Bayan; and deputation of barangay officials and non-government organizations to monitor abnormal price increases,” the ordinance added.
In addition, the DILG issued an unnumbered memorandum urging local government units “a) grant rent discounts; b) waive market fees; or c) pass a moratorium on rental payments, for public stall holders engaged in the business of selling rice for a period of two (2) weeks to one (1) month, subject to the discretion of the LGUs."