The Department of Agriculture (DA) will oversee the project’s rollout, in partnership with local government units (LGUs).
Rice supply at KADIWA centers will be available only to indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities. Qualified beneficiaries will be allowed to purchase up to 30 kilos of rice per month.
For the pilot run, participating LGUs may offer the rice at subsidized rates to all households in their respective communities, regardless of vulnerability status, if they agree to share in the subsidy costs, according to the DA.
Comelec clearance
“The new rice option aligns with the 'Bente Bigas Mo' pilot program in the Visayas and the 10 LGUs that have joined the initiative, where NFA rice is sold at P33 per kilo due to the national food security emergency,” Tiu Laurel said. Among the participating LGUs are San Juan City in Metro Manila, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, Camarines Sur, and Mati City in Davao Oriental.
The DA secured clearance from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to proceed with the P20-per-kilo rice sales, ensuring that the project could move forward without violating election-related restrictions.
Freeing up NFA warehouse space
The initiative also aims to free up NFA warehouse space, allowing for greater procurement of palay (unhusked rice) from local farmers during the ongoing summer harvest.
NFA Administrator Larry Lacson reported that, as of April 24, the NFA holds a buffer stock equivalent to 7.56 million bags of rice—its highest in five years—sufficient to meet national demand for about 10 days. Of the current stockpile, some 2.9 million sacks were acquired this year.
Lacson reiterated his directive to NFA teams nationwide to continue purchasing palay at rates between P18 to P24 per kilo to support farmers’ incomes.
Tiu Laurel revealed that discussions on a “P20 rice program,” under the KADIWA ng Pangulo program, had been ongoing since June 2024, but the plan was delayed due to high global grain prices and low NFA reserves.
Lower world market prices
"With world market prices now averaging just $300 per metric ton—down from highs of over $700—and our buffer stock at its strongest in years, the conditions are now favorable to launch," he said.
He emphasized that the "Bente Bigas Mo" initiative serves a two-fold mission: Providing affordable rice for Filipino families while ensuring that farmers are fairly compensated.
Goal: Reduce subsidy costs
The DA said it aims to gradually refine the program to reduce government subsidy costs and reallocate savings to broader agricultural and economic development initiatives.
Originally slated to end in December 2025, the program’s scope has been expanded after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the DA to make the “P20 rice program” available nationwide and sustainable until the end of his term in 2028. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
