Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed confidence in the sustainability of the program to sell rice for P20 per kilogram.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Summits in Malaysia on Tuesday, May 27, Marcos told reporters that comments saying the program was “cosmetic” were “fair.”
But to those saying it’s “unsustainable,” the chief executive said: “Watch me sustain it. And then, we’ll talk in May of 2028, natuloy ba o hindi [if it has continued or not]. We found a way. We found a way to do it.”
“We’re making deals with different countries para ‘yung presyo mapako na, na hindi pabago-bago [so that the price will stay at that level, and won’t fluctuate],” he said.
When asked if those partnerships would mean importing rice, the Department of Agriculture said, “Pwedeng pag-aralan [It could be studied].”
“If i-expand pa natin [we expand the program] beyond the current beneficiaries… there could be a possibility to go beyond the stocks, so pag-aaralan lang [we will study it],” Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said in a briefing on Wednesday.
De Mesa said possible import sources may include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, India, and Pakistan.
“We cannot say for now… but we are open,” he added.
Marcos said the government is making sure harvest will be bought at a competitive price. The National Food Authority (NFA) is buying dry and clean palay at P24/kg.
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The Department of Agriculture is covering the P13/kg subsidy to sell NFA stocks at P20/kg.
The cheap staple is only available to senior citizens, 4Ps members, PWD, and solo parents in Kadiwa stores across Metro Manila and nearby provinces. They could buy 30 kilograms monthly.
The DA has assured enough NFA stocks for the program’s pilot implementation until December.
