ILOILO CITY (PIA) – Several Ilonggos are already anticipating the implementation of P20 per kilo rice program in the city and province of Iloilo, following the announcement of the Marcos Jr. administration for its pilot rollout in the Visayas region.
For many residents, the initiative offers hope and much-needed relief amid rising living costs.
Gerson Dalino, a resident of Guimbal, Iloilo who is working as a tricycle driver in the city, shared how the program would significantly ease his daily burden.
“Malaki po ang tulong sa akin ng P20 na pambili ng bigas sa aking araw-araw na pamumuhay at saka sa extra may pambili pa ako ng ulam at pangangailangan sa aking pamumuhay araw-araw,” Dalino said in an interview.
Jay Pelobello, a security guard living in Miag-ao, echoed similar sentiments, expressing his gratitude to the government.
“Gapasalamat gid ako sa plano sang gobyerno nga mabaligya sang P20 per kilo nga bugas kay sa kapigaduhon subong, maka-piyan-piyan gid na sa budget sa pang adlaw-adlaw nga kinahanglanon,” Pelobello said.
(I am truly thankful for the government’s plan to sell rice at ₱20 per kilo because with the current hardship, that would really help stretch the budget for our daily needs.)
Meanwhile, the Iloilo provincial government already started its preparation for the rollout of the highly anticipated P20-per-kilo rice program, set to be piloted in the Visayas region.
Defensor convened with department heads under the Civil Defense Cluster together with Department of Agriculture Region VI Director Dennis Arpia to discuss the implementation of the program in the province.
The governor is also drafting an executive order to institutionalize the rice subsidy program in the existing programs of the Iloilo provincial government.
It is noted that the rice subsidy program was among the key topics in a closed-door meeting of Visayan governors with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. held on April 23, 2025, at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
Laurel said that the program is set to run until December, with the possibility of extension to February 2026 or even until 2028.
“Our President has given the directive to the Department of Agriculture to formulate this to be sustainable and tuloy-tuloy hanggang 2028,” the DA secretary said.
He added that the program is intended to be scaled up nationwide, with the goal of making affordable rice accessible to more Filipino families across the country. (JNH/PIA Iloilo)
