By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in Negros Occidental will be monitoring the compliance with the price ceiling among local rice dealers.

OPA officer-in-charge Dr. Dina Gensola said yesterday morning her office will be helping the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with monitoring rice prices in local markets across the province.

OPA’s Agri-Business Section was tasked with assisting the monitoring.

Gensola said they will submit their documentation with photos to the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office.

Local government units are also mandated to conduct the same monitoring activities.

However, Gensola admitted that the OPA does not have police powers to enforce penalties against violators of the price ceiling.

Gensola said it would be up to DA and DTI to deal with the offenders.

She said that monitoring prices in the province is one of OPA’s functions.

On August 31, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also the concurrent DA secretary, approved a recommendation to impose mandated price ceilings on rice amid the current surge in retail prices across the country.

Marcos set the price ceiling of P41 per kilo for regular-milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice.

The order came into effect yesterday.

Marcos has also ordered the DTI and DA to ensure the implementation of mandated price ceilings, and to monitor and investigate abnormal price movements in the market.

The Bureau of Customs has been ordered to crack down on warehouses suspected of illegally importing and hoarding rice.

They are tasked to confiscate as may be warranted by the law./DGB, WDJ