DA to expand scope of P20-per-kilo rice, eyes reaching 14M Pinoys by September
In a news release, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the second phase of the pilot program will target Mindanao provinces with high poverty incidence.
'On top of the list for the second phase, which begins in July, is Zamboanga del Norte, with a poverty incidence of 37.7%. Also included are Basilan, Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Davao Oriental, Sorsogon, and Maguindanao del Norte,' Tiu Laurel said.
For the third phase, which will begin in September, the program will be expanded to Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Catanduanes, Agusan del Sur, Sarangani, and Dinagat Islands.
The expanded pilot test for the P20-per-kilo rice initiative is seen to cover more than 3.3 million households or 14 million Filipinos.
The program, initially launched on May 1 as a pilot program in select Visayan areas, has been expanded to include regions in Luzon and Mindanao.
The pilot was intended to collect critical data for efficiently operationalizing the program. It is scheduled to run until December.
The subsidized rice to be sold is sourced from the National Food Authority (NFA) —which currently has an inventory equivalent to around eight million 50-kilo bags of milled rice.
Tiu Laurel said he has directed the NFA to ensure the quality of rice to be distributed, especially to remote and island provinces.
Under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, only members of vulnerable sectors—including indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents—are eligible to buy NFA rice at P20 per kilo.
The rice sold in KADIWA centers is subsidized by the government through the Food Terminal Inc.
For programs where local government units (LGUs) share the subsidy, it will be up to the LGUs to determine eligibility.
The limit is 30 kilos per household.
The DA chief said the agency is aiming to sustain the program until the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s term in June 2028, potentially covering up to 15 million households—or approximately 60 million Filipinos.
This expansion underscores the government's commitment to making rice more affordable and accessible to all, he said. —NB, GMA Integrated News
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