P20-per-kilo rice now available in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —  The P20-per-kilo rice is now available for senior citizens, single parents, persons with disabilities and indigents in this city.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. yesterday led the launch of the “Bente Bigas Mo” program at the Burgos Public Market.

Laurel said the shared subsidy of the Department of Agriculture and the city government for the P20-per-kilo rice program would run until the end of the year.

He said it is up to the local government where to distribute the low-cost rice.

Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez said the National Food Authority has around 9,000 sacks of rice stored at the NFA-Bacolod, which the city government will utilize for the program.

Benitez said that members of vulnerable sectors would be given priority for the low-cost rice, although the city government will procure more to make the P20-per- kilo staple available for all.

He said the city government is waiting for the inventory of the NFA before it could extend the program to non-vulnerable sectors.

Laurel said the P20-per-kilo rice national program for 15 million households will roll out in January next year and will run until June 30, 2028.

Recently, the P20-per-kilo rice program was expanded to cover minimum wage earners.

Qualified households may purchase up to 30 kilos of the low-cost rice per month.