The Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday said the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program will start selling Rice-for-All at a lower price of P43 per kilo in its various outlets starting today, October 11.
The DA said in a statement yesterday the Rice-for-All program spearheaded by Food Terminals Inc. will offer well-milled rice at various Kadiwa centers for P45 per kilogram (kg).
Unlike the subsidized P29 program which is aimed at vulnerable sectors like indigents and senior citizens, Rice-for-All is available to all consumers in larger volumes.
“The vision is to lower the price of this staple food under the Rice-for-All program to the most affordable level possible… Rice sold under this program will be accessible to more consumers, thanks to our planned expansion of the Kadiwa network. We expect to double our Kadiwa outlets this weekend as part of a broader goal of reaching 169 stores by the end of the year,” said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
The DA said a total of 21 new Kadiwa stores will also open today across Metro Manila and in Laguna.
Unlike existing Kadiwa stores that operate only two to three days a week, the new outlets will be open seven days a week.
The new outlets will be led by cooperatives like the Pantao Fisherfolks Consumers Cooperative and SRT Alcala Multi-purpose Cooperative that will supply essential commodities, including rice for both the Rice-for-All program and the P29 per kilo rice program.
Following the launch of these permanent Kadiwa stores, DA plans to establish 10 to 15 new outlets monthly until December, with further expansion across the country in 2025.
The DA aims to have at least one Kadiwa store in each of the 1,500 municipalities, promoting a farm-to-market approach that bypasses middlemen and increases farmers’ revenues.
The new store locations include areas in Caloocan, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig, Navotas and Quezon City.
The agency also said the Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service which serves as the marketing arm of the DA and the division in-charge of the Kadiwa program, is partnering with several farmer and fisherfolk cooperatives to establish more outlets across the country.
Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, DA assistant secretary, launched the cooperative-led Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores to quickly spread the program’s benefits to the most number of Filipinos, after signing a memorandum of agreement with farmer’s groups.
“We also want our farmers and fisherfolk to get more value for their products, securing for them more income that will incentivize them to produce more,” Guevarra said.
