Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has directed the National Food Authority (NFA) to start transferring rice stocks to the Visayas ahead of the launch of the P20-per-kilo rice program.
“It will take several weeks to move tens, even hundreds, of thousands of 50-kilo bags of rice from NFA warehouses, particularly in Mindoro, to various parts of the Visayas,” Tiu Laurel said.
The DA has already secured clearance from the Commission on Elections to roll out the P20/kilo program, a flagship campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2022.
The subsidy for the lower-priced rice will be shared equally by the DA’s Food Terminal Inc. and participating local government units.
Rice for the initiative will come from the NFA’s buffer stocks, which reached a five-year high last week at 378,157 metric tons—equivalent to 7.56 million bags of rice—enough to feed the country’s population for 10 days.
NFA warehouses in Iloilo currently hold the equivalent of 862,409 sacks of rice; however, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson stressed the need to supplement supplies in areas with limited rice production, including Cebu, Negros Island, Samar, and Leyte.
“The additional stocks for the Visayas will mainly come from Mindoro Island, where NFA inventories exceed 830,000 bags of rice,” Lacson said, noting that transferring 40,000 sacks from Mindoro to Cebu could take up to a month.
The Visayas was chosen for the pilot run of the P20-per-kilo rice program because of its higher-than-average poverty rates, particularly in Negros Island and Eastern Visayas, where poverty incidence is more than double the national average of 10.9%, at 22.6% and 20.3%, respectively.
Governors across the Visayas have endorsed the program and committed to sharing part of the subsidy.
Initially set to run until December, the DA is now reviewing and refining the plan following President Marcos’ directive to expand and sustain the program nationwide through 2028.
Aside from providing affordable rice to millions of struggling Filipinos, the initiative will also help clear warehouse space for new palay purchases, enabling the NFA to buy more from local farmers at higher prices.
The DA said the success of the Visayas pilot run will be critical in shaping the rollout strategy for Luzon and Mindanao, where logistical challenges and greater population densities present unique hurdles. Officials are already coordinating with regional directors and provincial governors to prepare the groundwork for a seamless transition.
Meanwhile, the NFA is stepping up security measures at its warehouses to safeguard rice stocks, amid concerns that increased movements of commodities could attract theft or spoilage.
Lacson assured the public that the agency is implementing stricter inventory controls and warehouse monitoring as the program progresses.