The government has earmarked PhP5 billion to support its PhP29 per-kilo rice program, aimed at making rice more affordable for Filipinos, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced on Thursday.
Castro assured the public that the government has ample funds to sustain the rice initiative.
“May inilaan po ang pamahalaan para po dito, five billion pesos po para po sa programang ito,” Castro said during a Malacañang briefing.
On March 21, the Department of Agriculture (DA) revealed that the monthly allocation for the PhP29 per-kilo rice program would be tripled, allowing beneficiaries to purchase up to 30 kilos of rice each month.
The affordable rice is available at all Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores nationwide.
The program benefits senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, indigent families, and those enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
When asked how the increased allocation for National Food Authority (NFA) rice would support both consumers and farmers, particularly in alleviating warehouse congestion, Castro explained that the larger purchase amounts would help reduce the agency’s buffer stocks.
This, she said, would free up storage space, enabling the NFA to buy more palay directly from farmers, especially during harvest season, thus benefiting local agricultural producers.
