Mobile Kadiwa stores to be deployed in NCR to expand access to low-cost rice

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THE Department of Agriculture plans to launch mobile Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) stores in the National Capital Region after a suggestion by the Metro Manila Council (MMC) to include a hybrid setup to ensure accessibility to cheaper rice even in areas where local government units don’t have the space for physical stores.

“We were joined by Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel to discuss the PBBM Administration’s initiative of providing affordable rice through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo pop-up stores,” MMC President and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said during a recent meeting of the council.

“This program aims to support Filipino families by ensuring access to low-cost, high-quality rice while empowering local farmers.”

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Zamora suggested to Laurel the idea of a hybrid setup, such as mobile stores, for areas that lack sufficient space for a physical store.

“This approach would help ensure that all communities can benefit from this program, regardless of space limitations,” he explained.

In response, Laurel said the DA plans to launch mobile KNPs, saying the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) has already procured 24 trucks, with plans to rent additional units soon.

As of January this year, there are more than 20 KNP centers and kiosks in Metro Manila, while there are 150 public and private markets in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Kadiwa stores offer rice stocks of the National Food Authority at ₱38 per kilo — cheaper than prices in the market–to target low-income households, the DA said. It added that the NFA currently holds 300,000 metric tons of rice in stock.

As the distribution network expands, communities across Metro Manila can have improved access to affordable rice, reinforcing food security for the region’s most vulnerable populations, Tiu Laurel said in a statement. Bringing down the price of the staple to as low as P20 per kilo was a campaign promise of President Marcos Jr.

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