BIZ BUZZ: P20/kg rice sale takes spotlight
The Marcos administration’s P20/kilogram rice sale will take the spotlight in the upcoming “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” expo happening later this month.
Launched in the Visayas last May, the initiative calls for the sale of discounted rice to eligible beneficiaries through Kadiwa outlets or other accredited sites.
Dubbed the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” rice project, this will serve as the highlight of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) Expo 2025, which will take place from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30 in Intramuros.
“The expo will serve as the program’s largest Metro Manila rollout yet, giving consumers the chance to buy P20 rice while demonstrating how the initiative supports vulnerable sectors, including farmers, farmworkers, fisherfolk, transport groups, and low-income households,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a statement over the weekend.
The initiative currently serves senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, indigents, indigenous people, minimum wage earners, rice farmers and fisherfolk, tricycle and jeepney drivers, and beneficiaries of the “Walang Gutom” program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
It is now available in 81 provinces nationwide, with the nationwide rollout scheduled for next year.
The expo will also feature the expanded Kadiwa network, including Food Hubs, Centers, Stores, Model Trucks and Karts aimed at stabilizing local supply chains and widening access to essential commodities.
“Through the P20 rice initiative and the broader KADIWA interventions, we’re institutionalizing systems that uplift farmers and keep nutritious, affordable food within reach of Filipino families,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said.
With the DA’s aggressive expansion plan and the upcoming Kadiwa event, the question remains: can President Marcos fulfill his promise of making the household staple truly affordable for all?
