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Saturday, May 24, 2025
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Philippine Government Expands P20 Per Kilo Rice Initiative
Affordable rice availability increases across Metro Manila and Cebu as part of government efforts to ensure food security.
The Philippine government has expanded the sale of P20 per kilogram rice in the National Capital Region (NCR) to alleviate the rising cost of living and enhance food security.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced that this subsidized rice will be available at selected public markets and Kadiwa Centers throughout Metro Manila.
The designated locations for the P20 per kilo rice in NCR include Kamuning Public Market, Mandaluyong Public Market I and II, Navotas Agora Complex, Pasay City Public Market, New Las Piñas Public Market, Maypajo Public Market, and Bagong Silang Phase 9 Public Market in Caloocan.
These markets will have the rice available for purchase from Monday through Sunday.
Additionally, several Kadiwa Centers will also offer the subsidized rice on specific days of the week.
In related developments, more than 55,000 bags of well-milled rice have arrived in Cebu as part of the P20 per kilo initiative.
The National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator, Larry Lacson, confirmed that these new stocks are sourced from Occidental Mindoro and Iloilo.
They will be stored at the NFA 7 warehouse in Cebu City, adding to earlier shipments of rice from Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao.
Lacson noted that the quality of the rice is high, with both regular and aging stocks containing 25 percent broken grains and no foul odor.
The distribution of this rice will take place across various local government units (LGUs) as part of the subsidized rice program, with initial allocations already made to municipalities including Carmen, San Fernando, and Talisay City.
The total release across Cebu province has reached 10,795 bags under the initiative, which was launched by Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on May 1. The program, titled 'Sugbo Merkadong Barato,' aims to offer affordable rice throughout the province.
Further plans indicate that approximately 600,000 bags of rice will be transferred under Governor Gwendolyn Garcia's efforts, with completions expected by June.
The NFA reported that rice stocks nationwide reached 419,000 metric tons, providing approximately 10.8 days of supply, marking the highest buffer stocks since 2020.
To support the rice distribution, logistical measures are being addressed, including the acquisition of new trucks by the Department of Agriculture’s Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) to ensure efficient delivery to Kadiwa Centers.
Moreover, local governments are involved in securing storage solutions for any unsold rice.
The P20 per kilo rice rollout is part of a broader government initiative to subsidize food costs and ensure sustainable access to staples for Filipino citizens.
This measure will facilitate the sale of subsidized rice not just to selected beneficiaries but potentially to all citizens in the future, contingent upon the success of the pilot implementation in the Visayas region.
The program's sustainability is supported by upcoming harvests, which are expected to maintain supply levels through 2028. Funding to subsidize the difference between market price and selling price will be shared between the National Government and local government units.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced that this subsidized rice will be available at selected public markets and Kadiwa Centers throughout Metro Manila.
The designated locations for the P20 per kilo rice in NCR include Kamuning Public Market, Mandaluyong Public Market I and II, Navotas Agora Complex, Pasay City Public Market, New Las Piñas Public Market, Maypajo Public Market, and Bagong Silang Phase 9 Public Market in Caloocan.
These markets will have the rice available for purchase from Monday through Sunday.
Additionally, several Kadiwa Centers will also offer the subsidized rice on specific days of the week.
In related developments, more than 55,000 bags of well-milled rice have arrived in Cebu as part of the P20 per kilo initiative.
The National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator, Larry Lacson, confirmed that these new stocks are sourced from Occidental Mindoro and Iloilo.
They will be stored at the NFA 7 warehouse in Cebu City, adding to earlier shipments of rice from Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao.
Lacson noted that the quality of the rice is high, with both regular and aging stocks containing 25 percent broken grains and no foul odor.
The distribution of this rice will take place across various local government units (LGUs) as part of the subsidized rice program, with initial allocations already made to municipalities including Carmen, San Fernando, and Talisay City.
The total release across Cebu province has reached 10,795 bags under the initiative, which was launched by Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on May 1. The program, titled 'Sugbo Merkadong Barato,' aims to offer affordable rice throughout the province.
Further plans indicate that approximately 600,000 bags of rice will be transferred under Governor Gwendolyn Garcia's efforts, with completions expected by June.
The NFA reported that rice stocks nationwide reached 419,000 metric tons, providing approximately 10.8 days of supply, marking the highest buffer stocks since 2020.
To support the rice distribution, logistical measures are being addressed, including the acquisition of new trucks by the Department of Agriculture’s Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) to ensure efficient delivery to Kadiwa Centers.
Moreover, local governments are involved in securing storage solutions for any unsold rice.
The P20 per kilo rice rollout is part of a broader government initiative to subsidize food costs and ensure sustainable access to staples for Filipino citizens.
This measure will facilitate the sale of subsidized rice not just to selected beneficiaries but potentially to all citizens in the future, contingent upon the success of the pilot implementation in the Visayas region.
The program's sustainability is supported by upcoming harvests, which are expected to maintain supply levels through 2028. Funding to subsidize the difference between market price and selling price will be shared between the National Government and local government units.
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