The Department of Agriculture (DA) led the rollout of the P20 per kilogram rice program in Cebu City on Thursday, Labor Day.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement Food Terminal Inc. and the Cebu provincial government also signed a memorandum of agreement on the shared subsidy of the P20/kg rice program pilot test in the province.
The DA said last week the government would need P3.5 to P4.5 billion as subsidy for the program.
The agency added that local government units in Cebu have started drawing stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in the city. They have so far withdrawn 3,700 fifty-kilogram rice bags between April 29 and May 1.
“Today, Labor Day, we fulfill a promise made three years ago by President Bongbong Marcos to the Filipino people: to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo. That promise is now a reality—Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” Tiu Laurel said during the launching event held at the Cebu Capitol grounds.
The DA reiterated that the pilot test of the program will run until December 2025, and will cover other regions in Visayas to benefit about 800,000 households or 4 million people.
The agency added that the NFA has been repositioning stocks from rice-producing areas in the Visayas and from Mindoro to areas like Cebu that have little rice output.
The DA added that to mark the rollout in Cebu, Tiu Laurel personally manned the Kadiwa ng Pangulo booth, distributing the first few bags of P20/kg rice sourced from the NFA’s buffer stock.
The DA also explained that the P20/kg subsidized rice has been labeled as the “Katuparan ng Pangakong P20 na Bigas” (KnP20) program to distinguish it from DA’s other rice initiatives, such as the Rice-for-All pilot, currently offered in more areas of the country.
Under the KnP20 program, rice is made available through targeted mechanisms, particularly to vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, with each qualified household allowed to purchase up to 30 kg per month.
However, the DA said that as of May 1, it was still awaiting clarification from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on whether the program would be exempted from the May 2-to-12 ban on the distribution of government aid during the election period.
The country’s midterm elections for 12 senators, members of the House of Representatives, and local government officials will be held on May 12, 2025.
Initially, the DA planned to roll out KnP20 in 16 locations across Metro Manila with initial selling points at public markets in Bagong Silang (Caloocan City), Kamuning (Quezon City), Mandaluyong and Pasay.
Additional distribution centers are also being set up by the DA at the DA Central Office, Quezon Memorial Circle; Bureau of Plant Industry, Malate, Manila; Bureau of Animal Industry, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City; Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority, Las Piñas; Bagong Sibol Market, Marikina City; Disiplina Village Phase 1, Valenzuela City; Food Terminal Inc., Taguig city; Barangay 183, Midway Park, Caloocan City; Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters, Camp Crame; Philippine Postal Corp., Manila; PNP Eastern Police District, Pasig City; Pasay City Public Market, Libertad; Kamuning Public Market, Cubao; Mandaluyong Public Market I, Kalentong; Mandaluyong Public Market II, Fabella Rd., Brgy. Addition Hills; and in Bagong Silang Phase 9 Public Market, Caloocan City.
The DA said that if the Comelec would disallow rice distribution during the restricted period, it would start selling at subsidized rates right after the midterm elections by May 13.
Despite the uncertainty, Tiu Laurel expressed optimism that the Comelec would grant an exemption, citing the program’s potential to alleviate financial pressure on low-income families while also helping decongest NFA warehouses to free up space for the procurement from local farms of freshly harvested palay in the ongoing summer harvest season.
Based on the DA’s monitoring of public markets in the National Capital Region, local well-milled rice sold for P37 to P54 per kg on Wednesday, April 30, while regular milled rice went for P33 to P43 per kg.
Imported well-milled rice was selling for P43 to P46 per kg while the price of imported regular milled rice ranged from P35 to P45 per kg.
Special-variety imported rice fetched P52 to P65 and premium rice, P43 to P55.
Special-variety local rice was selling for P50 to P65 per kg while premium rice went for P44 to P60 per kg.
