Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. announced on Wednesday that the Department of Agriculture (DA) will begin offering rice at P20 per kilo, starting with a pilot implementation in the Visayas.
The initiative is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2022 campaign promise to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo. The pilot program is expected to run until December 2025, with a possible extension through February 2026. Laurel added that the DA has been instructed to develop the program for long-term sustainability, potentially continuing it until 2028.
“Our president has given the directive to the Department of Agriculture to formulate this to be sustainable and continue it until 2028,” Tiu Laurel said in a press conference held in Cebu.
Laurel emphasized the urgency of the project in the region, stating, “The reason we had a meeting today is because, well… it’s a bit bad to say, but the people here need it more.”
To support the initiative, the DA will begin releasing 358,000 metric tons of rice from its buffer stock stored in warehouses nationwide. The secretary clarified that the concept of P20 per kilo rice has long been in the works since he assumed office.
“Some people might ask. Actually, we’ve been thinking about this for a long time. Ever since I came into office, that was the basic question: Can we give P20 rice to the masses?” he said.
Laurel reiterated that the administration had always treated it as a major aspiration. “It was always on our mind. The DA team has been working day and night on how to bring this to reality,” he told reporters.
However, the announcement appeared to draw a contrasting sentiment from Vice President Sara Duterte, who, during her visit to evacuees in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, made statements that seemingly countered the DA’s program.
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WATCH: Vice President Sara Duterte hits the government's plan to sell P20 per kilogram rice in the Visayas, saying the administration may be fooling the people again.
"At magdududa ka dahil bakit Visayas lang, hindi ba nagugutom yung mga… pic.twitter.com/9oEbyGGJnH
As the pilot rollout commences in the Visayas, all eyes are on whether the P20 per kilo rice promise can be achieved and sustained beyond the pilot phase. The success of the program may shape future agricultural policy and support for Filipino consumers.