P20/kilo rice rollout ready

CEBU, Philippines — As Cebu Province is expected to be the first local government unit to implement the administration’s ?20-per-kilo rice program, the National Food Authority in Central Visayas (NFA-7) is fully prepared for the rollout across the entire island.

Acting Regional Information Officer of NFA-7, Olma Marie Nedia, said they have already prepared the rice stocks to be released to the LGUs in Cebu Province, as the selling of the ?20-per-kilo rice is set to begin on May 1, 2025.

“For the ?20 rice program, we are very ready here at NFA-Cebu,” said Nedia.

She said that there are currently 11,000 bags of rice stored in their warehouse ready for distribution.

In fact, classifiers from the NFA-Cebu Branch Office are already assigned at the warehouse to inspect the stocks that will be released to the LGUs for the program.

Nedia clarified that the 11,000 bags stored in the warehouse are solely intended for Cebu Province, as this is the Cebu Provincial Government’s allocation.

Meanwhile, the NFA branch offices in Negros Oriental and Bohol also have their own stock allocations, Nedia added.

As of Monday, April 28, 2025, Nedia said that no LGU has yet withdrawn sacks of rice from their warehouse.

“As of this time, wala pay LGU nga naka-withdraw relative to the ?20 program,” she said.

She added that NFA-7 is still awaiting instructions from the head office to commence the withdrawal of stocks from the warehouse to the LGUs.

“Anytime, it can start because the stocks are ready in the warehouse,” Nedia said, emphasizing that NFA-7 is ready to release the rice.

Aside from the 11,000 bags of rice, the current inventory will be augmented by shipments arriving from source regions such as Region 6, and expected arrivals from Region 4 and Region 10.

“Ito yung tutulong na mag build up yung ating inventory, so that we can issue stocks for this program,” Nedia explained.

She said that the 11,000 bags are for the initial distribution, since the LGUs will not be withdrawing their full allocations all at once.

“In the coming days darating ang stocks from the source regions and maa-accommodate yung allocation ng mga LGU dito sa Cebu Province,” Nedia assured.

Nedia emphasized that NFA-7 is “very supportive” of the program promised by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the Filipino people.

“That’s why when it was announced na mag-start na this week, talagang we prepared everything,” Nedia said.

She added that aside from preparing the rice stocks, NFA-7 also ensured that personnel are ready in case LGUs begin withdrawing their rice allocations.

Given the affordable price, NFA-7 assured the public that the quality of rice will still be maintained.

Nedia said that only good-quality rice will be distributed for the implementation of the ?20-per-kilo rice program.

She explained that this is the reason classifiers are assigned — to identify and check if the stocks for release are in good condition.

“(We) ensure that every time may i-issue kami, nilalagyan namin ang aming documents ng ‘in good condition’ or ‘fit for consumption’ yung aming stocks na idi-distribute,” Nedia assured.

On the other hand, despite no official withdrawals yet from the NFA-7 warehouse, several LGUs in Cebu have already begun selling rice at ?20 per kilo to their constituents. Among the early movers are the municipalities of Daanbantayan and Malabuyoc.

In Daanbantayan, residents have started taking advantage of the affordable rice prices ahead of the Department of Agriculture’s formal launch of its ?20-per-kilo rice program in Cebu Province later this week.

This is under the Sugbo Merkadong Barato (SMB) program, spearheaded by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

Under the program, the Capitol allocated in 2023 P100 Million for the purchase of NFA rice to be divided equitably among the 51 LGUs.

Each beneficiary is allowed to buy up to 10 kilograms of rice per week, a system designed to prevent hoarding and maximize the number of families who can avail of the subsidy.

The SMB initiative is the country’s first LGU-led program fully aligned with President Marcos Jr.’s goal of making rice more affordable for Filipino households.

Malabuyoc has also joined in, continuing its rice distribution through the SMB program. Under the setup, low-income families can purchase up to 40 kilograms of rice monthly, further supporting household food security.

In Santander, the Municipal Agriculture Office announced the official schedule for the sale of NFA rice priced at ?20 per kilo. The sale is set from May 1 to May 7, 2025. To ensure equitable access, each household may likewise purchase a maximum of 10 kilograms per week.

Authorities reminded residents that buyers must be at least 18 years old, must present a valid ID, and are encouraged to bring their own eco-bags or sacks for easier packaging.

Priority beneficiaries are persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and senior citizens, while eligible recipients include Barangay Health Workers (BHW), Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), Day Care Workers (DCW), GAD Focal Persons, BAHA Members, Barangay Tanods, Lupong Tagapamayapa Members, Traffic Enforcers, Public School Teachers (Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff), DRRM Personnel, Bantay Dagat Volunteers, Public Hospital Workers, Barangay Officials, and individuals assessed to be in urgent need.

During a recent press conference in Cebu, Visayas governors, headed by Governor Garcia, announced that although the original plan was to distribute the rice within the Visayas, it has been decided to implement the distribution nationwide.

This decision followed a meeting between the Visayas governors and President Marcos Jr. at the Cebu Provincial Capitol last week. But in a statement by the DA recently, they again said the rollout will be made in the Visayas and eventually introduced nationwide.

Meanwhile, former Senator Ping Lacson, who was in Cebu yesterday for some engagements, shared his views on the ?20-per-kilo rice program.

Lacson said that the price of rice was definitely too high before the P20-per-kilo program, especially since farmers and their rice produce go through five to six traders or middlemen.

"Imagine the mark-up, mark-up, mark-up. The lower the price of buying from farmers, the higher the price of selling to consumers,” Lacson said.

“Here, the government intervened and subsidized P13 per kilo. They pegged at P20. But in the end, what they bought from the farmers was P33. So if the farmers sell, they didn’t lose anything. At the same time, the consumers are poor. They can only buy P22," Lacson added.

But Lacson expressed concern on the long-term sustainability of the program.

"You know, it’s hard to sustain this for long. Because we’re allocating billions of pesos for subsidies. It can’t be subsidized forever. We also need to look at the long-term solution," he stressed.

The long-term solution, Lacson said, is to increase productivity.

He explained that the Rice Tariffication Law is a very good law, as tariff collections are increased.

“But in exchange, there’s an earmarked ?10 billion for farmers for farm inputs. The problem is implementation. What some people did was import tillers, millers. Nothing. It’s easy to get damaged. So the enemy is corrupt. So when it comes to the price of rice, I think it is a stopgap measure. That should not be criticized and instead should be supported by Filipinos,” Lacson said.

Further, Senator Imee Marcos, in a press conference in Carcar City, Cebu on April 28, 2025, criticized the ?20-per-kilo rice program of her brother's administration.

Sen. Marcos expressed concern over the program’s timing, especially with less than two weeks before the May 12, 2025 elections.

The senator, who was with Vice President Sara Duterte during the Solidarity Rally in Carcar City, warned that the initiative could be perceived by the public as a form of vote-buying. — (FREEMAN)