CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) – The national government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), is set to roll out the P20 per kilo Rice Program in local government units (LGUs) in the Visayas for marginalized sectors.
The P20/kg rice rice program, which is set to be implemented by the last week of April, comes as rice prices in the global market continue to decline, making it feasible for the government to bridge the cost gap between the current market price of P32 to P33 per kilo and the subsidized P20 price.
Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has directed the DA to ensure the sustainability of the program until the end of his administration in 2028.
“Initially, the program of the DA was supposed to last until December, and it can be extended until February, but the President has given the directive to the DA to formulate this to be sustainable, and it will continue until 2028,” said DA Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in a press conference held in Cebu City.
Laurel said that under the program, the price difference, which is currently around P13 per kilo, will be shouldered by the national government through the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) and the local government units that will be selected to participate in the program.
The program initially targets to sell the P20-per-kilo rice to identified beneficiaries, mainly the indigent sector and those who belong to low-income communities.
“As of now, we are thinking of two templates. One is we can sell a maximum of five kilos per week per family, and another one is 10 kilos per week. So, the maximum that we can sell is 10 kilos per week, so 40 kilos per month per family,” Laurel said.
The budget for the subsidy is estimated to be between P3.5 and P4.5 billion, depending on the LGU’s participation and the volume of rice to be sold.
The program also aims to focus on building a sustainable rice subsidy mechanism, with the initial rollout out in Regions 6,7, and 8, seeking to serve as a foundation for potential expansion to other regions in the coming months.
“This program is an aspiration of the current administration. So, we in the DA have been working day and night on how to bring this to reality through the support of our LGUs,” Laurel said.
Fulfilled promise
For Gina Rafols, 52, a solo parent of seven children, the implementation of the P20 per kilo rice program is a huge help for them.
“Dako kaayo akong kalipay nga karon mahitabo na gyud akong pangandoy nga makapalit mig barato nga bugas. Makatilaw na gyud mi og tag-P20 kilo nga bugas,” Rafols said.
(I am so happy that now our aspiration of being able to buy cheaper rice will now become true. We can now finally taste the 20-peso per kilo of rice.)
She thanked the government, especially the President for fulfilling his promise of making affordable rice available to the Filipinos.
“Akong mensahe sa atong gobyerno, salamat kaayo kay inyo gyung gituman ang saad nga mapaubsan ang presyo sa bugas kung diin dako kining tabang kanamo nga naglisod karon nga nagmahal pud ang ubang mga pamaliton, kaning tag-20 pesos nga kilo sa bugas makatabang na gyud ni sa among sitwasyon karon,” she added.
(My message to our government, especially to our President, is thank you very much that you have fulfilled your promise to lower the price of rice, which is a great help to us who are in a struggling situation right now. This 20 pesos per kilo of rice will really help us in our current situation.) (RGC/PIA7 Cebu)
