By Stephanie Sevillano | Philippine News Agency
On Wednesday, April 23, the Department of Agriculture (D.A.) announced the pilot launch of P20 per kg. rice sale in the Visayas, in line with the food security, accessibility, and affordability targets of the Marcos Jr. administration.
The program’s pilot was announced shortly after a closed-door meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and 12 governors in Visayas.
In a press conference streamed via Facebook Live, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said this will be the first time the cheapest rice will be available to the public.
“Ngayon lang natin ila-launch ito, kaya nag-meeting today… It’s because, well, mas kailangan ng tao dito tsaka may stocks din tayo dito,” Tiu Laurel said.
Under the program, each family will be allowed a 10-kg. purchase per week or a total of 40 kg. every month.
He said the declining trend of world market prices for rice has contributed to the feasibility of delivering the P20/kg. rice price, which is a promise of the Marcos Jr. administration.
“Ever since I came into office, that was the basic question. Can we give P20 rice to the masses? At that time, I always answered that it was an aspiration of this administration. So it was always on our mind that the DA team has been working day and night on how to bring this to reality,” Tiu Laurel said.
“So ngayon na bumaba ang world market prices, mas magaan na ang subsidy nito.”
Testing the waters
Tiu Laurel also cited an adequate rice stock inventory at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses in the Visayas, particularly in Iloilo. Besides Visayas, he said the program is designed to be implemented nationwide once challenges in logistics are addressed.
“We have to also move out stocks from other areas kasi the other factor na kailangan din namin gawin ito sa D.A. is because talagang punong-punong pa rin ang warehouses ng D.A. ng bigas at palay,” he said.
To date, the NFA has around 358,000 metric tons (MT) of rice stocks, which will last for over nine days, more than halfway to its target national rice buffer stock of 15 days.
The NFA is currently ramping up efforts for local palay procurement to support farmers amid the harvest season.
Tiu-Laurel, meanwhile, urged local government units to work with the D.A. to expand the program implementation, benefiting more Filipino families with cheaper rice.
He said the President directed the D.A. to ensure the P20 per kg. sale sustainability until the end of Marcos’ term in 2028. (PNA)
