P20/kg rice for nationwide roll-out by 2026 - DA

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans a nationwide roll-out of the cheap rice program by 2026, even as the agriculture chief admitted difficulty in offering subsidized rice to everyone.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency is looking at a January implementation of the P20-per-kilogram rice program as the DA needs at least six months of trial to gather data.

“To be honest, ang hirap gawin for all eh. Sa 115 million Filipinos, it will cost really a lot,” Tiu Laurel said in a news conference on Tuesday, April 29.

[Translation: To be honest, it would be difficult for all. For 115 million Filipinos, it will cost a lot.]

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the DA to make the P20 rice program “sustainable” until 2028 — or until the end of his term. The amount was his campaign promise in 2022.

Tiu Laurel said the subsidized rice may be offered to 15 million households, or half of the population below the middle class.

“We’re thinking about na kung sino lang ‘yung poor — ‘yung poor sa DSWD is one million families… meron naman PSA data na ang poor is 2.9 million families,” he said of the options.

“We’re still figuring out which is the best and ano bang kakayanin ng gobyerno,” he added.

[Translation: We’re thinking about families classified as poor — for the Department of Social Welfare and Development, there are 1 million poor families. The Philippine Statistics Authority data shows there are 2.9 million poor families. We’re still figuring out which is the best and what could the government afford.]

Tiu Laurel also mentioned the possibility of having a card to track the purchase of individuals.

The P20 rice program, which the administration calls “Bente Bigas Mo,” is still a pilot program to be implemented in the Visayas, where beneficiaries could reach almost 800,000 families.

There were “priority areas” as well who could join the pilot implementation, or those who bought buffer stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA) at P33/kg amid the food security emergency.

These were San Juan City, Navotas, Camarines Sur, Cotabato, Isabela, San Rafael in Bulacan, Siniloan in Laguna, Palayan in Nueva Ecija, and Mati City in Davao Oriental.

The DA would tap P4.5 billion from the president’s contingency fund to cover the P13/kg subsidy. Participating local governments will shoulder half.

The agency plans to move out around 370,000 tons of NFA stocks for the P20 rice program.

“Definitely, we will be monitoring the run rates every day, ako personally magmo-monitor para makita natin days to last,” Tiu Laurel said.

“Kung sakaling masyado mabilis ang benta tapos mas konti nasa serve, we might put the limit per family from 40 to 20 or 30 kilos,” he said.

[Translation: Definitely, we will be monitoring the run rates every day. I will be personally monitoring to see the days to last. If the sale would be quick but there are fewer families served, we might put the limit per family from 40 kilos to 20 or 30 kilos.]

Post-election sale

Meanwhile, Tiu Laurel said he is still awaiting the clarification from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) whether the DA could push through with selling P20/kg rice in Kadiwa stores on Friday, May 2.

Comelec exempted the program from the 45-day election spending ban, but noted that participating local government units must seek their own exemption.

Aid distribution is prohibited for 10 days leading to the polls, according to election rules.

“Kung hindi talaga pwede ito, susunod tayo sa Comelec, at uumpisahan nalang ang bentahan matapos ang halalan,” Tiu Laurel said. “Of course we are requesting Comelec to grant this para may makinabang na consumers.”

[Translation: If this is not permitted, we will follow Comelec and start the sale after the elections. Of course, we are requesting Comelec to grant this so consumers would benefit from the program.]

Without the exemption, the DA could only launch the cheaper option in Kadiwa stores on Friday, the agriculture chief said.

If granted, Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra said the agency would have an initial roll-out in eight Kadiwa stores in Metro Manila, namely: Agribusiness Development Center, Bureau of Animal Industry, and Philippine National Police Camp Crame in Quezon City; Bureau of Plant Industry in Malate, Manila; Philippine Fiber Industry in Las Piñas; Bagong Sibol Market in Marikina City; Disciplina Village in Ugong, Valenzuela City; and Navotas City Hall in Navotas.

Cebu said it would offer the cheap staple on Thursday, May 1.