DTI-Iloilo profiling reveals rice retailers renting privately-owned stalls
The Department of Trade Industry (DTI) Iloilo has discovered that some rice retailers in the province and city are selling rice while leasing stalls from private store owners. The discovery comes after the monitoring and profiling of rice retailers during the implementation of the government-imposed retail price ceiling on well-milled rice

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The Department of Trade Industry (DTI) Iloilo has discovered that some rice retailers in the province and city are selling rice while leasing stalls from private store owners.
The discovery comes after the monitoring and profiling of rice retailers during the implementation of the government-imposed retail price ceiling on well-milled rice and regular-milled rice.
Ma. Dorita Chavez, Officer-in-charge Division Chief and Senior Trade Industry Development Specialist, said that many rice retailers were not properly registered, especially those renting stalls in markets where the stalls themselves were registered under the owners’ names.
“During sang profiling is damo sang mga rice retailers ang wala nakaregister […] nga ang mga stalls sa market may mga owner gid. Ang gin himo sang iban na nga owner, gin pa rentahan wherein nga ang naga renta is indi pwede i-register sa ila pangalan,” Chavez said in press conference on Monday.
Chavez noted that their profiling is somehow a “blessing in disguise” since they can now correct the status of several rice retailers and accurately account for the number of retailers in specific markets.
“Kung basehan natun ang BPLO nga listings, stall owners lang ang nakabutang, indi ang actual nga nagabaligya,” she said.
The DTI-Iloilo further encouraged renting rice retailers to also process their documents with the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) for them to be recognized and to avail of benefits of the government in the future.
“Ang registration is indi siya siling nga ginaangkon ang stall. Lainang tag-iya sang stall owner but ikaw us naga occupy dira dapat may imo gid yah nga registration,” Chavez furthered.
DTI-Iloilo reported that the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office has disbursed a total of P10.71 million to 741 rice retailers who received one-time cash assistance of P15,000.
The town of Estancia has the highest number at 66, followed by Iloilo City with 34.
Chavez said throughout their monitoring and profiling, DTI-Iloilo has not sanctioned rice retailers that were caught selling beyond the imposed price ceiling.
This non-penalization scheme is in response to the request of Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. during an emergency meeting with rice retailers and traders, and officials from the Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Plant Industry, during the onset of the price ceiling implementation.
Article Information
Comments (0)
LEAVE A REPLY
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Related Articles
DENR pushes 2027 deadline for new Iloilo bulk water supply
A top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Iloilo must have a new bulk water supply operational by 2027, warning that the city’s rapid urban growth will further increase water demand in the coming years. Carlos Primo David, DENR undersecretary for integrated environmental science and head of

Treñas-Chu slams MPIW over permit delay claims
Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu criticized Metro Pacific Iloilo Water on Thursday for what she described as the company’s failure to directly raise concerns about alleged delays in the processing of permits for its desalination plant project in Barangay Ingore, La Paz. “I would have appreciated it if MPIW had informed
