KADIWA CENTERS TO START SELLING P20/KILO RICE STARTING MAY 2 – DA

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday announced that the P20-per-kilo rice will be sold at Kadiwa centers beginning May 2.

However, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the high-quality P20 per kilo rice will be available only to indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities.

Beneficiaries will be allowed to purchase up to 30 kilos of rice per month.

The rice will be procured by Food Terminal Inc. from the National Food Authority (NFA).

For the pilot run, participating local government units (LGUs) who share in the subsidy for the project may make the new rice option available to all households in their community regardless of vulnerability status.

“The new rice option aligns with the ‘Bente Bigas Mo’ pilot program in the Visayas and in the 10 local government units (LGUs) that have joined the initiative, where NFA rice is sold at P33 per kilo due to the national food security emergency.

These LGUs include San Juan City in Metro Manila, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, Camarines Sur and Mati City in Davao Oriental,” said Tiu Laurel.

The DA has secured clearance from the Commission on Elections to proceed with the sale of the P20-per-kilo subsidized rice.

The initiative is expected to free up NFA warehouse space, enabling increased rice procurement from local farmers during the summer harvest.

As of April 24, NFA administrator Larry Lacson reported that out of the 10.1 million sacks of palay in storage, roughly 2.9 million were acquired this year.

This brings the total buffer stock to the equivalent of 7.56 million bags of rice—a five-year high—sufficient to meet national demand for 10 days.

“My directive to our teams on the ground is to purchase as much palay as possible at P18 to P24 per kilo to help boost farmers’ incomes,” Lacson said.

Tiu Laurel shared that the P20 rice initiative had been under consideration since June of last year.

However, its implementation was initially deemed impractical due to elevated global grain prices and low NFA stock levels.

“With world market prices now averaging just USD 300 per metric ton—down from a high of over USD 700—and with NFA buffer stocks at their strongest in years, we felt the conditions were finally right to launch,” he said.

He emphasized that the “Bente Bigas Mo” initiative is designed to serve a dual purpose: easing the financial burden on millions of Filipino families while ensuring rice farmers receive fair compensation for their harvests.

Tiu Laurel also underscored the DA’s commitment to refining the program over time, aiming to reduce government subsidy requirements and redirect savings toward other agricultural and economic development projects.

Originally intended to run until December, the DA has since revisited the plan after President Marcos directed the agency to expand the program nationwide and ensure its sustainability through the end of his term in 2028.