Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. on Tuesday announced that the government plans to roll out P20-per-kilo rice to 15 million low- and middle-income households in 2025, benefiting an estimated 60 million Filipinos.
Speaking at a post-SONA forum moderated by PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro, Laurel said the program will provide an initial 10 kilos of rice per household monthly. He emphasized the importance of affordable rice for struggling families amid rising living costs.
The program will be funded with an ₱18-billion budget in 2025. Of this, ₱10 billion will be allocated for direct cash outlays, while the remaining ₱8 billion will be sourced from government rice stockpiles.
Laurel said the Department of Agriculture will buy palay directly from farmers, with 20 percent of stocks sold at P20 per kilo. The rest will be sold at P38 to P42 per kilo to help fund the subsidy.
However, full implementation depends on amending the Rice Tariffication Law. Laurel thanked Speaker Martin Romualdez for filing House Bill No. 1, which seeks to restore the National Food Authority’s authority to strategically intervene in the rice market.
