Assures no income loss for farmers
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. assured consumers that the P20 per kilo rice initiative is not merely a stop-gap measure, but a continuing program of his administration that is poised to be expanded further to include more public markets nationwide.
In a vlog released yesterday, the chief executive said the initiative, being rolled out through Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets, is part of efforts to provide affordable food while bolstering the agriculture sector.
“P20 rice is here to stay. It is achievable, it is sustainable. So look out for it in your nearest public markets,” Mr. Marcos assured.
Presently, only senior citizens, single parents, persons with disabilities, indigent families, and minimum wage earners, are entitled to purchase rice at P20 per kilo.
The administration targets that, by yearend, one million financially-struggling Filipinos will be entitled to purchase affordable rice under the program, also called, “Benteng Bigas Meron na!” or “BBM.”
Last week, Mr. Marcos led the launch of the program at Zapote Public Market in Bacoor, Cavite.
This signaled a major expansion of the P20 rice initiative, originally pilot tested in the Visayas region in May.
The program has so far reached over 105,000 families in Luzon and the Visayas, the Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service reported.
More than 804,000 kilos of affordable rice were distributed between May 13 and June 30, it disclosed.
To date, 94 outlet sites have been established across the country, the agency added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos allayed fears looming that the availability of cheap rice might hurt farmers, saying safeguards are in place to prevent the depression of palay (unhusked rice) prices.
He said the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to purchase wet palay at P18 per kilo and dry palay at P19 to P23.
“No matter what the price of rice is, the NFA’s purchase of palay from our farmers will not fall below this,” he assured.
Moreover, the President also cited the continued roll-out of rice processing facilities, dryers and soil laboratories across the country to allow farmers to store their harvest.
This option will allow growers to avoid selling to traders at low prices.
In his vlog, titled, “Agrikultura,” Mr. Marcos also reaffirmed his administration’s focus on building a resilient agricultural system to ensure food security.
He also urged national and local officials who assumed office June 30 to work with the administration to improve service delivery to the public.
“The political part is over, public service is what you will be dealing with now,” he said.
“We have a lot of cooperation with the local and national government and the LGU (local government unit) plays a big role in delivering services to the people,” he added.
Meanwhile, the deferred further reduction of the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported rice, originally set on July 1, will push through on July 16.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the MSRP of imported rice will be lowered to P43 per kilo from the current P45.
The DA’s retail price ceiling for the imported grain applies specifically to the 5% broken variety, which is the most commonly consumed variety of imported rice.
The Agriculture Department delayed the reduction of imported rice MSRP on the back of the volatility in global markets as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
With tensions now easing, following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, Tiu Laurel said global conditions have stabilized enough to resume the planned rice price interventions.
The initial MSRP for 5 percent broken imported rice was P58 per kilo that piloted on January 28, 2025, and was progressively lowered to P45 by March 31.
MSRP contributed to easing inflation, allowing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to cut interest rates to help stimulate economic activity and job creation.
Tiu Laurel added that rice sold through the DA’s Rice-for-All program would also reflect the new price levels.
Currently, 5 percent broken rice is sold at P43 per kilo, 25 percent broken at P35, and 100 percent broken at P33.
