P20/kilo rice program resumes  

CEBU, Philippines — After a brief pause during the 2025 midterm election period, the government’s P20-per-kilo rice program has officially resumed in Cebu, with the arrival of 35,000 sacks of rice yesterday at the Cebu City port.

The National Food Authority in Central Visayas (NFA-7) confirmed that the rice supply was delivered to augment stocks for the ongoing rollout of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s flagship P20 Rice Program, which aims to provide affordable rice to low-income Filipino families.

NFA-7 information officer Olma Nedia said the program was only paused to comply with election-related policies under the Commission on Elections guidelines.

“Malipayon ta nga ni-resume na ang pagkuha sa atong LGUs sa ilang allocation para pud ma apod-apod na ni nila ang barato nga bugas,” said Nedia.

She assured the public that the rice program will continue, as previously committed by Agriculture Secretary Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. during the program’s launch in Cebu Province last May 1.

As of May 14, a total of 5,000 bags had already been withdrawn by 30 municipalities across Cebu Province.

NFA-7 emphasized that this is part of the earlier agreement made between the Department of Agriculture, Food Terminal Inc., and the LGUs that signed memorandums of agreement.

Cebu Province has prepaid for around 11,000 bags intended for distribution among its LGUs. However, the allocation per LGU has been capped based on a list provided by the provincial government, ensuring equitable access to the rice supply.

“Naa tay igo na supply sa P20 program kay in fact naa ta’y i-expect nga arrival or mga shipments from other regions para mo-augment atong stocks,” Nedia shared.

She added that the distribution will follow a strict scheduling system, in line with the schedules set by Cebu Province.

The arrival of the 35,000 sacks is part of the initial objective to supply 50,000 sacks in total for Cebu Province.

The rice is being sold in select LGU-run Kadiwa outlets and local markets at P20 per kilo, a price significantly lower than the current market rates, which range from P45 to ?55 per kilo for regular and well-milled rice.

In a statement earlier this month, the DA clarified that the P20 rice program had been temporarily halted during the elections to comply with the Comelec’s public spending ban.

However, the DA emphasized that the program itself had not been scrapped.

NFA-7 also said that the region is expecting more shipments in the coming weeks from other surplus areas nationwide to further strengthen the rice supply in the province.

The LGUs that have launched the P20-per-kilo rice are Minglanilla, Naga, Carcar, Talisay, San Fernando, Argao, Oslob, Samboan, Santander, Tuburan, Balamban, Asturias, Barili, Aloguinsan, Toledo, Bantayan, Bogo, Medellin, Tabogon, Poro, Sogod, Borbon, Compostela, Catmon, Pinamungajan, Ginatilan, Pilar, Tudela, and Tabuelan

With the implementation of the administration’s ?20-per-kilo rice program, Carbon Market vendors said they were not threatened and were not affected, as they cater to a different kind of market.

Erwin Goc-ong, head of the Cebu Market Vendors Multipurpose Cooperative, said that during previous price hikes of the NFA, such changes usually reached public markets. In this particular program, however, Goc-ong said it hasn’t reached the local markets of Cebu City.

He admitted that despite the implementation of the program their profits are not affected since this program caters to a different kind of market.

“Kay, we know nga nga di na makaabot sa mercado kay it is heavily subsidized man,” said Goc-ong.

From the consumers’ aspect, he said most vendors also took advantage of the opportunity to procure the P20-per-kilo rice.

From the vendors’ perspective, Goc-ong said they were pleased to know that this rice supply was being procured at a higher price from farmers and sold at a lower price. He reiterated that they no longer participate in selling this rice, unlike before.

It was reported that following the announcement to begin the rollout of the ?20 rice among LGUs, the Cebu City Government must wait for the guidelines outlining its limitations, according to Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.

In Cebu City, Garcia admitted that he has yet to receive a proper memorandum and guidelines for distribution, adding that he only heard about the program from news reports. While LGUs are expected to implement the rollout, Garcia said he expects Cebu City to be included.

“So I will have to seek clarification where to get the rice, how to sell the rice, who sell the rice to, where to sell the rice, all these details, I have to find out first,” Garcia previously said.

“But there should be no reason not to include Cebu City, because Cebu City is an LGU,” he added.

According to Garcia, they will also have to determine if there is enough budget to procure the rice, stressing the need to receive the guidelines first.

Moving forward, Garcia said he assumes the project will have limitations regarding the number of qualified purchasers. In line with this, Garcia has also not ruled out the possibility of issuing an executive order.

After the May 12 midterm elections, 20 additional centers across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro, and Rizal are now began selling P20-a-kilo rice on Thursday.

Early this month, the said subsidized rice program also piloted in the Visayas including here in Cebu. It is expected to provide affordable, high-quality rice to as many as 2 million households, roughly 10 million Filipinos, through December.

“The Marcos administration is determined to expand this P20 program nationwide, ensuring that the most vulnerable --senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and members of the 4Ps-- have access to affordable, high-quality rice that they can rely on,” said Laurel.

The rice sold at KADIWA centers comes from the National Food Authority (NFA), which procures palay from local rice producers at prices higher than those offered by private traders, ensuring better returns for farmers.

Currently, beneficiaries of the P20 rice program are allowed to purchase up to 30 kilos of rice per month.

Most KADIWA centers are open from 6 AM to 2 PM Thursday to Saturday.

In addition to rice, they also offer fresh vegetables and other agricultural products.

“This is about putting food on the table for families who need it most, and we’re working to ensure this support reaches more Filipino households and continues through 2028,” Laurel added.

He recently led a “salo-salo” at the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry compound along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City allowing consumers, journalists, and DA employees to sample the NFA rice sold at KADIWA centers.

In another development, the DA is preparing to implement a more effective solution to lower meat prices in the face of a recent surge in African Swine Fever (ASF) cases after withdrawing the MSRP for pork following the request of industry players.

Under the DA’s pricing agreement with stakeholders in the swine industry, the SRP was previously set at ?380 per kilo for liempo, P350 for pigue and kasim, and ?300 for sabit-ulo (fresh carcass).

These price points were intended to reflect fair value across the supply chain while shielding consumers from excessive markups.

Nevertheless, retail pork prices have remained high, with industry groups pointing to the ASF resurgence as a key factor disrupting supply and dampening production. Since the first outbreak in 2019, the national hog inventory has declined from approximately 13 million heads to just 8 million.

In the meantime, Laurel encouraged consumers to explore more affordable protein alternatives such as chicken, fish, and beef as the government takes new steps to stabilize pork supply and prices over the coming weeks.

“We urge our consumers to buy other protein sources instead, or frozen pork that are a lot cheaper than freshly slaughtered hogs. We will soon implement a new solution to lower prices,” he said.

The DA is now awaiting the approval of the Food and Drug Administration to its clearance for the commercial rollout of the ASF vaccine, possibly later this year, before implementing an aggressive repopulation plan that should bring back domestic production to pre-ASF levels by 2028.

The vaccine is expected to significantly enhance the likelihood of success for the repopulation program.  BRP (CEBU NEWS)