Gov’t to sell P20/kg rice in Visayas - DA secretary

Metro Manila, Philippines - The government will launch a pilot program to sell rice for P20 per kilogram in the Visayas, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced Wednesday, April 23.

It would be the cheapest rice to be sold by the Department of Agriculture, in a move to seemingly fulfill the campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that has been hounding him since the start of his administration.

The disclosure came after a closed-door meeting in Cebu between Marcos and the 12 governors across Regions 6, 7, and 8.

Vice President Sara Duterte cast doubts on the move of the administration.

“Meron akong pagdududa na magbebenta sila ng P20 per kilo na bigas pero hindi pangtao, panghayop,” Duterte said in an interview in Negros Occidental.

[Translation: I have doubts that the P20 per kilo rice would be fit for human consumption, but for animals.]

She claimed this could be just another “campaign promise,” this time to boost administration-backed senators in the upcoming midterm elections in the Visayas.

“We launched it here because mas maraming nangangailangan sa regions na ‘yon,” Laurel told a news briefing livestreamed by Cebu province. 

“Once we sort out all the issues logistically, para makita talaga how to operate it, launch it, and manage it, nationwide ito eventually,” he said.

[Translation: We launched it here since the regions here have the most in need. Once we sort out all the issues logistically, to see how to operate it, launch it, and manage it, this will be nationwide eventually.]

Laurel also said Marcos gave the directive to the DA to formulate the program “to be sustainable until 2028” — the end of his term.

“Hindi ito magawa last year dahil ang world prices ng bigas is at a 15-year high. Ngayon lang bumaba ang world market prices, mas magaan na ‘yong subsidy nito,” the agriculture chief said.

[Translation: This could not be done last year because world rice prices were at a 15-year high. Now that world market prices have gone down, the subsidy will be easier.]

He said officials agreed that under the pilot program, families can buy 10 kilograms of rice per week, or 40 kilograms monthly.

But in a separate livestream by the Cebu government, some governors said guidelines have yet to be finalized, with the move just being presented to them during the meeting. 

They added beneficiaries for the P20 program and the launch dates may be up to local governments.

“We’re hoping na ang mga LGUs (local government units) ay mag-participate at maging successful ang programang ito para makinabang ang ating mamamayan sa mas murang bigas,” Laurel said.

[Translation: We’re hoping LGUs would participate and the program would be successful for the benefit of the public.]

The DA previously sold subsidized rice for P29/kg for vulnerable sectors only, available in Kadiwa centers. The stocks were aging stocks of the National Food Authority (NFA).

The new program also came amid full NFA warehouses during the harvest season. The declaration of food security emergency has not resulted in the expected significant pull-out of buffer stocks by local government units.

“Ngayon, 358,000 [tons of rice] because of the harvest season, maraming stocks of palay and rice, and the rice equivalent, we really have to move out and dispose eh,” Laurel said.

[Translation: Currently, we have 358,000 tons of rice because of the harvest season. We have many stocks of palay and rice, and the rice equivalent. We really have to move out and dispose of stocks.]