THE Department of Agriculture (DA) launched its P20-per-kilo subsidized rice program in Cebu City on Thursday.
“Today, Labor Day, we fulfill a promise made three years ago by President Marcos to the Filipino people: to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said.
Accompanying the launch, Food Terminal, Inc. and Cebu province signed a memorandum of agreement on the shared subsidy of the P20-per-kilo rice pilot test in the province.
Expected to run until December, the pilot test will cover other parts of the Visayas, benefiting 800,000 households or about 4 million people.
“President Marcos has directed the DA to draw up plans to extend this food program until 2028 and expand it nationwide to cover as many financially challenged Filipinos as possible,” DA said.
Meanwhile, local government units in Cebu have started drawing stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse. Between April 29 and May 1, they withdrew 3,700 50-kilo bags of rice.
“NFA continues to reposition stocks from rice-producing areas in the Visayas and from Mindoro to areas like Cebu that have little rice output,” DA said.
The subsidized rice sales are being billed as part of the KnP20 program (Katuparan ng Pangakong P20 na Bigas).
Under the law, the NFA is not permitted to sell rice directly to the general public, but KnP20 makes it available to targeted beneficiaries. Each qualified household, typically from the more vulnerable segments of society, may purchase up to 30 kilos a month, the DA said.
Initially the DA planned to roll out the program in 16 locations across Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, the DA said it is currently awaiting clarification from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on whether the program is exempt from the May 2–12 ban on the distribution of government aid during the election period.
“If Comelec disallows rice distribution during the restricted period, the DA plans to start selling the subsidized rates in earnest right after the midterm elections,” it added.
Mr. Laurel said he hopes Comelec will grant an exemption as the program can alleviate financial pressure on low-income families while also helping decongest NFA warehouses. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
