The San Juan City local government on Tuesday, Sept. 5, inspected the prices of rice being sold in Agora Market as part of its efforts in ensuring the strict compliance of rice sellers and retailers with the national government's rice price ceiling order.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban together with Metro Manila Council President San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Atty. Don Artes conducted a Joint Monitoring on Mandated Price Ceiling of Rice' at the Agora Market in San Juan City on Tuesday, September 5. (Mark Balmores)

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, together with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Don Artes, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, and other city government officials led the price monitoring event.

Zamora said the inspection was done to ensure that retailers are following the strict implementation of Executive Order No. 39, Series of 2023, or the mandated price ceiling for rice to prevent price manipulation by traders and retailers as directed by President Marcos to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Agriculture (DA).

The order, which took effect starting Sept. 5, mandated the price ceiling for regular milled rice at P41 per kilogram and P45 per kilogram for well-milled rice.

"The mandated price ceilings shall remain in full force and effect unless lifted by the President upon the recommendation of the Price Coordinating Council or the DA and the DTI," the EO read.

As of Aug. 28, the DA reported that the prices of regular milled rice in markets in Metro Manila ranged from P42 to P55 per kilogram. Meanwhile, local well-milled rice stood at P48 to P56 per kilogram.

"Kami po ay binigyan ng direktiba na ipatupad ang E.O. 39 starting Sept. 5, ngayong araw. Kaya kinausap po natin ang ating market master at ating mga retailers upang siguraduhin na sa araw na ito ay tama po ang presyo ng bigas sa Agora Public Market. Kinausap po namin sila at sinabing ang pangulo ay may executive order tungkol dito at lahat naman po ay compliant, sinigurado po natin yan sapagkat naiintindihan po natin ang pangangailangan ng consumer na makabili ng bigas sa mababang presyo (We were given a directive to enforce E.O. 39 starting Sept. 5, today. That's why we have spoken to our market master and our retailers to ensure that starting today, the rice being sold here in Agora Public Market is at the precribed price. We have talked to them and said the president has an executive order about this. All our retailers and sellers are compliant and we made sure of this because we understand the need of our consumers to be able to buy rice at a lower price)," Zamora said.

He added that those who will be apprehended may be charged under the following laws: RA No. 7581 or “Price Act,” RA No. 10845 or “Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act,” C.O. No. 32, Series of 2008 or “An Ordinance Creating the Local Price Control Coordinating Council.”

First offenders caught violating City Ordinance No. 32, Series of 2008 will be fined P2,000, 2nd offenders will be fined P3,000.00 and third offenders will be fined P5,000.00 and revocation of permit.

During the inspection, the officials said all rice sellers and retailers in Agora Market are compliant with the directive.

Zamora explained the city government has created a Price Control Coordinating Council through C.O. No. 32 to ensure that all rice retailers in the city will follow the president's order.

He noted that the agencies of the national government assured them of adequate supply of rice in the country as the season of harvest will start by the end of this month or by October.

"Ibig sabihin eh temporary lamang ang price control na ito sapagkat pagdating ng katapusan ng buwan hanggang sa susunod na buwan eh simula na ng ani ng bigas kaya magbabago na naman po ang supply ng bigas sa bansa (This means the price control order of the national government is just temporary because by the end of the month until next month, the season of harvest will commence, hence, the rice of supply in the country will change again)," the mayor, who is also the Metro Manila Council (MMC) president, said.

Financial assistance

Zamora said that aside from the financial assistance the national government will be giving to adversely affected rice sellers and retailers, the city government will also provide its own financial help to San Juaneño rice retailers and sellers.

"Ang national government po ay nakipag-ugnayan po sa amin at hinihingi nga po ang imbentaryo ng mga retailers natin ng bigas dito sa palengke. Gaano karaming bigas pa ang meron sa kanila at magkano nila ito nabili. Base rito, gagamitin yan ng national government para sa ayuda (The national government has already coordinated with us and asked for the inventories of our retailers here in Agora Market detailing how many rice they still have and how much they paid for it. This is where the national government will base the amount of financial assistance it will give to our retailers)," the mayor explained.

"Kami naman po, we can also assess the situation. Tandaan ho ninyo, we can only release financial assistance to San Juan residents. Meron pong mga San Juan residents na rice retailers dito po sa Agora Market at base po sa imbentaryong makikta natin eh malulugi nga talaga sila, then willing po ang San Juan na tumulong sa San Juan rice retailers (For us in the local government, we can also assess the situation. Remember, we can only release financial assistance to San Juan residents. There are rice retailers here in Agora Market who are also San Juan residents and based on the inventory that we saw, they will really lose income. The San Juan city government is willing to help our San Juan rice retailers)," he added.