QUEZON CITY (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture’s Rice-for-All program is making rice more affordable for Filipino families.
Starting January 18, Friday, the price of the 25% broken rice variety (RFA25) will drop from ₱40 to ₱38 per kilogram, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. announced.
This comes ahead of the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) implementation of ₱58 per kilogram for 5% broken imported rice on January 20.
The program offers a range of affordable rice, including RFA5 (5% broken grains) at ₱45 per kilogram and RFA100 (“Sulit Rice”) at ₱36 per kilogram. Public markets and KADIWA centers nationwide are expanding these options to serve more Filipinos.
A beneficiary of the program, May Santos, a single mother from Quezon City, shares, “Sa ₱38 kada kilo ng bigas, mas napagkakasya ko ang budget ko para makabili ng mas maayos na pagkain para sa aking mga anak.”
(With rice at ₱38 per kilo, I can stretch my budget to provide better meals for my children.)
Meanwhile, Jaime Cruz, a jeepney driver from Valenzuela City, expressed his relief, saying, “Mabigat ang mga gastusin ngayon, kaya malaking tulong kapag may pagbaba ng presyo. Kung ₱38 per kilo na, may matitira sa kita ko kahit papaano para sa iba pang gastusin.”
(The cost of living is heavy right now, so this rice price reduction is a big help. At ₱38 per kilo, I have more money left over for other needs.)
One patron from Valenzuela of the cheaper, worth P38 rice, is happy with this new program since he will have more savings for other needs (Photo by KADIWA)
Lorna Gomez, a small eatery owner in the City of San Juan, also praised the program. “Dito sa negosyo namin, importante ang murang bigas dahil dito kami kumikita. Dahil mas mura ang bigas, mas kaya namin magbenta ng mas murang pagkain sa mga customer.”
(Here in our business, affordable rice is essential because it helps us earn. With cheaper rice, we can also offer budget-friendly meals to our customers.)
Ana Dela Paz, a senior citizen from Pasay City, shared her gratitude. “E senior na ako e, kaya limitado lang ang budget ko sa pensyon. Buti na lang may ganitong programang nagpapamura ng bigas, mas may matitira para sa ibang gastusin.”
(As a senior citizen, my pension limits my budget. Thankfully, there’s a program like this that makes rice cheaper, so I have more savings for other expenses.)
Lola Ana, who only gets her budget from her pension, will now be able to save more for other expenses because of the cheaper price of rice. (Photo by KADIWA)
Josefino Ramos, a fisherman from Navotas City, remarked, “Sa presyong ₱38, mas magaan ang budget namin sa pagkain, lalo na’t umaasa lang kami sa kita ng huli namin araw-araw.”
(At ₱38, food expenses are less of a burden on our budget, especially since we only rely on our daily catches for income.)
By reducing rice costs and ensuring accessibility, the Rice-for-All program provides much-needed relief to households and strengthens food security across the country. (AVS / DA / PIA-NCR)
