The Department of Agriculture plans to expand the P20-per-kilogram rice program to include other transport workers, public school teachers, and non-teaching personnel by mid-October this year.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Tuesday, September 16, that next on the program’s growing list of beneficiaries will be the taxi and bus drivers, as well as public school teachers and school staff.
Tiu Laurel said the program will include taxi and bus drivers in about two weeks, followed by teaching and non-teaching personnel by October 15.
“We are finalizing the list. I don’t want to commit yet, but there’s a chance it could cover everyone since it depends on the salary grade,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Benteng Bigas launch for the transport sector on Tuesday.
The DA said it has started coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure smooth implementation.
However, Tiu Laurel said the rollout could take longer given the 800,000 personnel in schools nationwide.
“We’re just sorting out the details,” Tiu Laurel said.
Last September 14, the DA announced the inclusion of at least 57,000 public transport workers—such as jeepney, tricycle, and some bus drivers, as well as transport operators—in the P20-per-kilo rice program.
The DA is aiming to reach 15 million households, equivalent to around 60 million Filipinos, by the end of 2026 and sustain it through June 2028, the end of President Marcos’ term.
“Every week, we will expand to new areas and groups, so that by 2026, we’re fully ready,” the agriculture chief said.
The DA has secured an additional P10 billion in the 2026 budget to sustain expansion plans.
By October, the DA is targeting to sell 1,000 metric tons (MT) of rice daily under the program, increasing the volume to 2,000 MT in November, and 3,000 MT by December.
Tiu Laurel has assured the public that the National Food Authority (NFA) has, and will continue to have sufficient inventory to support the Marcos administration’s P20/kg rice program.
