DA opens P20/kilo rice program to rice farmers, farmhands
Despite criticisms about the program from “self-styled farmer leaders,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing ahead with the expansion of the subsidized rice sale to include rice farmers.
In a statement on Thursday, the DA said that starting Aug. 13, eligible rice farmers and farm workers can purchase up to 10 kilograms of rice at P20 per kg once a month.
“Farmers and farm workers may also opt to claim the full allocation of one 50-kilo sack between August and December this year,” it added.
Qualified beneficiaries are rice farmers tiling no more than three hectares and registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
At the same time, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. defended the subsidized rice program from critics who claimed the “temporary fix” fails to address deeper structural issues in the industry.
Constructive criticism only
“We’re offering affordable food to those who need it most,” Tiu Laurel said without identifying the critics.
“No one is being forced to avail of it. We’re simply trying to make life a little less difficult for the people who feed this country. This is one step, just one, toward greater food security,” he added.
Tiu Laurel also urged detractors to put forward proposals for improvements instead of merely criticizing the program.
“Criticism without constructive alternatives only slows us down. If you truly care about the sector, offer ideas. Help us build. Don’t just tear down,” he said.
The DA launched the P20 per kg rice program on May 1, beginning in the Visayas, until it suspended its implementation from May 2 to May 12 because of the spending ban imposed by the Commission on Elections for the midterm polls.
Aside from rice farmers and farm workers, the program is also open to vulnerable groups such as solo parents, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The program also covers beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Walang Gutom (No Hunger) Program, as well as other low-income groups and minimum wage earners. Their purchase limit is capped at 30 kg per month.
The DA is targeting to cover about 15 million households, or about 60 million Filipinos, by the end of 2026.
