The President’s contingent fund of P13-B in 2023 can be the source of the requisite assistance to rice retailers as subsidy to them in order to foreclose their expected losses in selling their inventories, which they procured at levels higher than the price cap imposed under Executive Order No. 39.

The contingent fund is provided to respond to unforeseen urgent and critical circumstances during the fiscal year, and it is not limited to specific occurrences and obligations.

If the contingent fund can be utilized to grant “confidential funds” to the Office of the Vice President in 2022 when the said office did not have any appropriated secret funds, with more reason the President’s contingent fund can be used to bail out small rice retailers.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN