The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has announced plans to roll out a pilot program for the PhP20-per-kilo rice initiative, which will first be implemented in the Visayas region. This follows a closed-door meeting between the President and 12 governors from the Visayas, held at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on Wednesday.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated that the Visayas will serve as a testing ground for implementation strategies and logistical coordination. He added that the program is designed to eventually expand nationwide and make affordable rice accessible to Filipino families across the country.
“We’re starting here in Cebu because there’s a significant need in these regions,” Laurel explained. “But the ultimate goal of this program — after addressing logistical challenges and ensuring a smooth operation — is to roll it out nationwide.”
In its initial phase, the DA will provide up to 40 kilos of rice per household monthly. The program is expected to run until December, with the potential for an extension through February 2026, or even until 2028, according to Laurel.
“The President has tasked the Department of Agriculture to ensure this program’s sustainability, to keep it in place until 2028,” Laurel said.
Additionally, Laurel noted that the distribution of cheaper rice would help ease congestion in National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses, which are currently operating at full capacity due to large volumes of both milled and unmilled rice.
“With the harvest season, our rice stockpile has grown from 300,000 metric tons to 358,000 metric tons,” he shared. “We need to move this stock to make space, and that’s another key factor in this initiative.”
