The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Saturday said a dozen Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces will officially kick off the sale of P20 per kilo rice initiative on May 13, a day after the midterm elections.
“As promised, the sale of P20 per kilo rice, which was initially launched on Labor Day, will resume right after the midterm elections. We had to temporarily pause the rollout in compliance with the Commission on Elections’ advice to honor the 10-day spending ban starting May 2,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
The P20 per kilo rice program was originally launched earlier this month in Cebu City. It was initially set for a six-month pilot in the Visayas.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., however, directed the DA to expand the program’s scope and extend it until the end of the President’s term in 2028.
“Despite critics’ claims, this targeted rice program will be pursued until the end of President Marcos’ term—this is the realization of his campaign promise,” Tiu Laurel said.
The program not only aims to provide affordable rice to Filipino consumers but also seeks to ease the burden on the National Food Authority’s (NFA) warehouses, enabling the agency to buy more palay from farmers at higher prices.
While the program initially focused on the Visayas, the Agriculture chief said a review of the DA’s budget and NFA stocks revealed that it can now be extended to other regions, including Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, through KADIWA centers and local government units involved in the national food crisis emergency initiative.
Pilot test
Under the pilot test, LGUs (local government units) will share the P13 per kilo subsidy with the DA’s Food Terminal Inc.
The eligibility of beneficiaries will also be determined by the LGUs.
Vulnerable groups—including solo parents, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and beneficiaries of the government’s 4Ps program—will have access to the P20 rice at KADIWA centers.
With the expanded area covered by the pilot run, the DA adjusted the monthly limit to 30 kilos per household.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing and Consumers Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, overseeing the KADIWA program, for her part, said that 32 centers across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro, and Rizal will begin selling the subsidized rice by May 15.
The pilot run is expected to benefit about two million households or around 10 million Filipinos until December, ensuring that affordable, quality rice reaches those who need it most.
—VAL, GMA Integrated News
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P20/kg rice to be sold in parts of NCR through Kadiwa stores by May 13
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