P20 rice now available in 82 provinces —DA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday announced that the P20-per-kilo rice program is now available in all of the 82 provinces of the Philippines.

The nationwide coverage completion of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” initiative was marked by the final launch held in the towns of Maguindanao del Norte, namely Barira, Buldon, Matanog, Sultan Kudarat, and Sultan Mastura.

The P20-per-kilo rice is available for purchase by vulnerable sectors such as 4Ps beneficiaries, single parents, senior citizens, indigenous people, persons with disabilities, minimum wage earners, the public transport sector, farmers, and fisherfolk. 

The rice is sourced from the stocks of the National Food Authority (NFA), which are procured directly from local farmers. The government subsidizes the program through the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI).

Under the program, the government procures rice from the NFA  P33 per kilo. These will then be sold at P20 per kilo, with the P13 per kilo subsidy to be shared by the national government and the local government units at P6.50 each.

The pilot rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice program serves as a preparatory run to address logistical and supply challenges to scale up the initiative to reach 15 million households or about 60 million Filipinos by 2026.

“This is about uplifting every Filipino, boosting local production, and ensuring no one — regardless of culture or religion — is left behind in our nation’s progress,” said DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra.

“The fulfillment of the P20 rice project would not have been possible without the unified action and collaboration of various government agencies,” said Guevarra.

The DA said it has established 429 sites for the P20-rice program nationwide.

By next year, with the aim of reaching 15 million households, the Agriculture Department said the next phase of the program centers on sustaining supply, strengthening production, and ensuring that affordable rice continues arriving steadily on the tables of Filipino families — no matter where they live. —RF, GMA Integrated News