ILOILO – To combat child malnutrition and cushion poor households from rising food prices, the Iloilo provincial government has sealed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with 43 local government units (LGUs) to roll out a subsidized rice program offering the staple at just P20 per kilogram.
The initiative, hailed as a landmark step toward food security and social equity, targets families with malnourished children aged five years and below — a sector most vulnerable to hunger and undernutrition.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. led the MOA signing on October 22 at Hotel del Rio, joined by mayors from Iloilo’s municipalities and Passi City.
“That is our mindset here in the province. We see agriculture as the foundation of health and nutrition,” Defensor said, emphasizing that the program aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s national push to eradicate hunger and make food affordable for all Filipinos.
Under the program, the provincial government has earmarked P26.5 million for the purchase of 20,000 bags of rice to be distributed across the province’s 42 municipalities and Passi City.
Eligible households may buy up to 30 kilograms of rice, while extended beneficiaries can avail of 10 kilograms.
Provincial Health Officer I and Nutrition Action Officer Dr. Wendel Tupas Marcelo said the effort is driven by urgent data: 11,776 Iloilo children are currently suffering from undernutrition, including wasting and stunting, based on the 2024 Operation Timbang Plus survey.
“The Province of Iloilo is now prepared to move into the implementation phase of the SiPag at TiyaGa for MoRProGRessa Bagong Pilipinas initiative,” Marcelo said. “This marks a pivotal transition from groundwork to action ensuring that all systems, stakeholders, and support mechanisms are aligned for effective rollout at the community level.”
He added: “Through this Memorandum of Agreement, we solidify our unified commitment to SiPag at TiyaGa for MoRProGRes sa Bagong Pilipinas, mobilizing our collective strength to nourish undernourished children, and cultivate a resilient, food-secure, and malnutrition-free Iloilo.”
Anchored on Executive Order No. 040, Series of 2025, the program aims to strengthen agricultural support while ensuring food accessibility in poor communities. LGUs will handle beneficiary listing, orientations, and distribution through Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) centers, Bigasan ng Barangay, and other government retail outlets.
“We are fully committed to the successful implementation of this program,” said Badiangan mayor Suzette Mamon, who also heads the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)–Iloilo Chapter.
Mamon underscored the program’s impact on local families struggling with high rice prices.
“The MOA is between the province and the municipalities. One of the conditions is that we sell rice at “20 to targeted beneficiaries. It could help a lot because the target beneficiaries are nutritionally compromised families,” she said. “If you have P20 per kilo, your buying capacity stretches, which helps address the needs of our people.”
The collaboration also highlights the “convergence” model involving the agriculture, health, and social services sectors.
“May DA nga component, may social services and healthcare component so you are targeting various sectors… buliliganay lang namon nga mga mayors ma-cascade and implement sa local level,” Mamon added.
However, the official rollout date has yet to be announced pending coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Provincial Health Office.
“We will try to connect with the DSWD because they already have identified target beneficiaries,” Mamon said. “We are waiting for coordination to ensure we avoid conflicts at the local level and properly identify nutritionally compromised families.”
Once implemented, the P20 rice program is expected to bring relief to thousands of Iloilo families while advancing the province’s long-term goal of eliminating child malnutrition through inclusive, locally driven governance./PN
