ILOILO – The highly anticipated rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice sales in this province will not commence before the May 12 midterm elections, with officials citing incomplete administrative requirements and ongoing preparations.
Provincial Agriculturist Ildefonso Toledo confirmed that the Iloilo provincial government is still ironing out key details of the program — including compliance with Department of Agriculture (DA) guidelines and the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI).
“We can’t implement ideally right now. Maybe after the election, because there are still many administrative requirements needed,” said Toledo in a radio interview. He stressed that the rice sale could not begin “even tomorrow or within the month.”
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. echoed the uncertainty, saying there is no definitive date for the start of the program.
Meanwhile, the DA Region 6 is also awaiting final instructions from the agency’s central office, particularly regarding the logistics of the rice distribution.
“As of now, DA-6 is on standby for instructions on whether to proceed with the P20 rice sales,” said James Earl Ogatis, DA-6 information officer.
He added that once clearance is given, they will announce where, when, and to whom the rice will be sold—including purchasing limits.
The delay also coincides with the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) 10-day ban on government public assistance distribution, raising further procedural concerns about launching such a program during the campaign period.
The P20 per kilo rice program is part of a broader national promise to provide affordable food to vulnerable sectors.
Governor Defensor convened department heads under the Civil Defense Cluster on April 24, to begin laying the groundwork for the program’s implementation. The meeting was also attended by DA-6 executive director Dennis Arpia.
While there is no definite start date yet for the distribution, Defensor said an executive order will soon be issued to integrate the program into the existing initiatives of the Iloilo provincial government.
“This program is very young — we’re just starting. We don’t know yet when, how much, and who exactly will be eligible. But we want to make sure the government, especially local government units, can start selling affordable rice at P20 per kilo, just as the President promised,” Defensor said.
He also clarified that the P20 rice will not be available to everyone. It will be targeted toward qualified recipients, as the supply and funding are limited.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said indigent families will be eligible to buy up to 10 kilograms of rice per week, or a total of 40 kilograms per month, at the subsidized price.
He attributed the feasibility of the P20-per-kilo rice promise to falling global rice prices and confirmed that the NFA currently holds 358,000 metric tons of rice — good for over nine days — as the agency works toward achieving a 15-day national buffer stock./PN
