GUIMARAS – Affordable rice at P20 per kilo is now accessible to residents in all five municipalities of this island province, as the provincial government officially rolled out the national P20 rice program this week.
The initiative began in Jordan on July 18 and was followed by launches in Nueva Valencia and Sibunag. Yesterday, July 22, the program was extended to the municipalities of Buenavista and San Lorenzo, marking full provincial coverage.
According to the Department of Agriculture Region 6 (DA-6), each town in Guimaras has an allocation for 1,000 qualified beneficiaries — comprising senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and indigent households. Each beneficiary is entitled to purchase up to 10 kilos of rice per month at the subsidized price of P20/kilo.
This program, one of the campaign promises of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called Benteng Bigas Meron Na, has been realized through the collaboration of the Guimaras Provincial Government, DA, National Food Authority, and Food Terminal Incorporated.
The rollout seeks to alleviate the burden of high food costs and ensure that vulnerable sectors in Guimaras have access to affordable and quality rice./PN
