Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 25) — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Tuesday said the campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to lower the price of rice to ₱20 per kilo will be eventually achieved.
“‘Yung ₱20 per kilo, as we started out saying, was an aspiration. Ibig sabihin non it may not be soon, it may not be later, maaabutan din natin ‘yan,” Bersamin told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
[Translation: The ₱20 per kilo, as we started out saying, was an aspiration. This means it may not be soon, it may not be later, but we will reach that.]
During his campaign for the 2022 national elections, then presidential candidate Marcos promised to lower the price of the staple to ₱20.
A year later, the per kilo price of local rice ranges from ₱36 to ₱ 60 depending on the variety, latest data from the Department of Agriculture showed.
Marcos said on July 18 that his administration is doing everything to achieve the promise.
Bersamin said there are several factors that affect efforts in attaining the goal like the impact of El Niño and some rice farmers not tilling their land anymore.
“Those areas that are producing areas we try to maximize ‘yung (their) production level,” he noted.
