DA extends P20-kilo rice program to more areas
The Department of Agriculture (DA) continued to expand the reach of the subsidized rice program with the addition of four new areas on Wednesday.
The DA rolled out the program which offers rice at only P20 per kilo in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte; Roxas City in Capiz; Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental, and San Jose town in Occidental Mindoro.
Eligible beneficiaries can buy up to 10 kilos of the staple per month at designated outlets.
“By next week, the P20 rice program will also cover fisherfolk and fish port workers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
For fishing sector
Initial beneficiaries from the fisheries sector include communities in Lucena City in Quezon province, Sual town in Pangasinan and Navotas.
The rollout will continue weekly across provinces with active National Food Authority (NFA) depots.
The DA will coordinate with the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority to deliver stocks from NFA warehouses to the fish ports.
About 2.9 million registered fisherfolk are expected to benefit from the program. Their purchase limit is also 10 kilos a month.
Earlier beneficiaries
When launched in May, the subsidized rice sale initially covered vulnerable groups, such senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents and indigents.
It now also covers minimum wage earners and the families on the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s conditional cash transfer program known as 4Ps.
President Marcos has approved an additional funding of P10 billion for the program’s expansion in the 2026 proposed national budget.
As of Aug. 17, a total of 211 sites nationwide offer rice at P20 a kilo.
The program, however, continue to draw criticism from economic analysts and agriculture sector groups questioning its sustainability. —REPORTS FROM JORDEENE B. LAGARE AND KEITH CLORES
