Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III said the municipal government will help retailers in finding a supplier of cheaper rice to sell to the public in light of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s imposition of a price ceiling.

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 that took effect on Sept. 5.

Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III meeting with rice retailers on Sept. 5 (Photos from Pateros municipal government)

Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III together with representatives of national agencies inspect a rice retailer in the municipality on Sept. 5 (Photo from Pateros municipal government)

Ponce and representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Food Authority (NFA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) inspected rice stores in Pateros on Sept. 5 to monitor compliance with the President’s order.

He later held a meeting with rice retailers in Pateros to discuss the implementation of the rice price cap.

Ponce told Manila Bulletin that the municipal government will wait for the name of the supplier that will be given by the DA and also find its own source where retailers can purchase rice.

“Magwi-wait-and-see kami sa ibibigay na supplier ng DA at kami naman ay naghahanap din ng source na pwedeng makuhanan nila (We will wait and see about the supplier that will be given by the DA and we are also seeking a source where they can get [rice],” he said.

During the inspection, the rice retailers showed their purchase receipts, indicating that their markup is only a little for every kilo of rice sold.

Ponce also said the municipal government is also planning to subsidize the cost of purchase of cheaper rice, which will be distributed to traders in Pateros by consignment.

This will result in consumers being able to buy cheaper rice, he said.

The mayor also said he received a memo from the DILG that encourages local government units (LGUs) to give incentives to rice retailers like reducing rent and rental moratorium.

However, he said, Pateros has no public market but only two private “talipapa.”

What the municipal government can do, he said, to exempt rice retailers from business permits but the renewal of permits will be held next year.

Ponce said during the meeting, the rice retailers promised to help even to the extent of selling rice at a loss.