ILOILO – To combat child malnutrition, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Iloilo has approved a landmark initiative allowing the provincial government to sell rice at just P20 per kilo to households with undernourished children.
During its regular session on May 20, the SP unanimously authorized Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), a government-owned and controlled corporation, to roll out the rice subsidy under the national Kadiwa ng Pangulo initiative.
The program targets households with children classified as underweight, stunted, or wasted — nutritional conditions defined by global health authorities. Underweight refers to a child whose weight is below the standard for their age. Stunting indicates low height for age, often a result of chronic malnutrition. Wasting, on the other hand, is low weight for height, commonly caused by acute food deprivation. These definitions are based on guidelines by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
“This initiative is a convergence of national and local support to address food insecurity at the household level, particularly among our most nutritionally vulnerable children,” said Provincial Nutrition Action Officer Dr. Wendel Marcelo.
According to Marcelo, 11,776 households across Iloilo province are qualified to benefit from the program and may receive up to 10 kilograms of rice per week for six months.
Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Dennis Ventilacion, who attended the SP session to clarify the financial terms, explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is selling rice to the provincial government at P33 per kilogram.
Of this cost, FTI will shoulder P20, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will cover P6.50, and the Iloilo provincial government will pay the remaining P6.50.
“Our exposure in this agreement is P6.50,” said Ventilacion. “The P20 will be on consignment and shouldered by FTI, and another P6.50 will be shouldered by the national government through the DA.”
Initial funding will come from the Office of the Governor, using resources sourced from donations.
Gov. Defensor earlier certified the request for immediate enactment, citing the urgent need to roll out the rice subsidy and address persistent nutrition challenges across the province./PN