By Brian Campued
In pursuance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s goal of making affordable rice accessible to more Filipinos across the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Monday that P20 per kilo rice will also be sold in select Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets beginning Friday, May 2.
“The new rice option aligns with the ‘Bente Bigas Mo’ (BBM) pilot program in the Visayas and in the 10 local government units (LGUs) that have joined the initiative, where [National Food Authority] rice is sold at P33 per kilo due to the national food security emergency,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
“These LGUs include San Juan City in Metro Manila, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, Camarines Sur and Mati City in Davao Oriental,” he added.
Laurel underscored the “dual purpose” of the program: easing the financial burden of Filipinos while ensuring just compensation for farmers.
This as the government gears for the rollout of the P20 Rice Project in Visayas, starting in Cebu province on May 1.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro also announced that P20/kg rice will be sold in the DA’s Kadiwa center at the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in Visayas Avenue.
The affordable rice will be available to indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disability (PWDs). These beneficiaries will likewise be allowed to buy up to 30 kg of rice per month.
Meanwhile, participating LGUs may sell the new rice option to all households regardless of vulnerability status.
The President previously directed the DA to expand the program nationwide through the end of his term in 2028.
Increased rice buffer stock
Castro also shared that NFA has increased its rice buffer stock in accordance with the President’s order to strengthen the agency’s purchase of palay from local farmers.
As of April 24, the NFA has 10.1 million sacks of palay in storage—of which, about 2.9 million were acquired in 2025. This stock remains sufficient for ten days of national consumption.
“Dagdag pa ng NFA, ang tuloy-tuloy na pagbili ng palay ay hindi lamang para sa mga magsasaka kung hindi para rin sa mga pagbibigay ng mas abot-kayang bigas sa mamamayan,” the Palace official said.
—iro
