06-08-2025
Marcos expects reduction in subsidy for P20/kilo of rice
President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. is expecting a reduction as to the subsidies for the government's P20 per kilo of rice initiative.
'Habang 'yung production natin gumaganda, bababa nang bababa 'yan (subsidy),' Marcos said during an interview with GMA Integrated News.
'Naabot na natin 'yung punto na masabi natin, 'O kaya na natin ito. We can afford it. We can afford the subsidy,' the President added.
(We have reached the point that we can say that we can do it. We can afford the subsidy.)
Marcos ensured that the coverage of the Benteng Bigas program would expand to ensure that more sectors of the population can access the staple food at a cheaper cost.
Initially launched in the Visayas last April, at least 162 locations across the country have since been offering the cheaper subsidized rice, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Members of the vulnerable sectors are on the priority list of who can avail the P20 per kilo of rice.
The P20-per-kilo rice initiative operates primarily through KADIWA ng Pangulo outlets. The rice is being sourced from stocks of the National Food Authority (NFA), which are procured directly from local farmers. --- RF, GMA Integrated News
