‘Sari-sari’ stores get cash aid this week

COMPLIANCE CHECK | Government agencies inspect retail stores for their compliance as the price caps on rice are imposed for the third day on Thursday. In this photo taken at Nepa-Q Mart, Oliver Lasco of Quezon City’s Market Development and Administration Office takes note of the price tags, the source of the grain suppliers, and the retailers’ business permits. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Owners of sari-sari stores affected by the rice price ceiling will receive cash assistance from the government this week, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Monday.

Romel Lopez, spokesperson for the DSWD, said the cash assistance would be distributed through the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), the same source of funding for the financial aid given to rice retailers.

Under the cash assistance program of the government, a retailer can receive P15,000 as financial aid to cope with the rice price cap set by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier this month to arrest the skyrocketing prices of rice.

The government has already started the distribution of cash assistance days after the price cap took effect, beginning with rice retailers.

This time, the DSWD, which was tasked with distributing the financial assistance, will be making the payouts to qualified variety store owners this week.

Lopez explained that the DSWD would prioritize its payout on sari-sari store owners who sell rice within the price cap of P41 per kilo for regular-milled rice and P45 for well-milled rice.

The store owners must also have their businesses registered with the Business Permit and Licensing Office of their local governments.

The store must also have a barangay registration and participate in the nano-retailer program “which is supported financially by their [local government] in order to qualify for the program and be eligible to receive the cash aid,” Lopez explained.