BACOLOD City – The P20-per-kilo rice under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program will be available until the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who graced the ceremonial launching of the program in this city yesterday, said the shared subsidy scheme will be implemented until December 2025. Beginning January 1, 2026, the national rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice will commence, targeting 15 million Filipino households and continuing until June 30, 2028.
The Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), the program’s implementing arm, will facilitate the sale of rice to local government units (LGUs). The rice will be sourced from the National Food Authority (NFA) at P33 per kilo and sold to LGUs at a subsidized price of P26.50 per kilo.
During the launch held at Burgos Market here, Tiu-Laurel assured the public that the P20-per-kilo rice distributed by the city government is of high quality.
Brenda Burdeos, head of the City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office (CCLDO), vouched for the rice’s quality, saying, “I cooked and tasted it myself — it’s soft, delicious, and very appetizing.”
She also highlighted that the rice is locally sourced from farmers in Bago City and Valladolid in Negros Occidental.
For its initial rollout, the city government prioritized distribution to sectoral groups including solo parents, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Tiu-Laurel clarified that the program does not impose restrictions on beneficiaries, but LGUs have the discretion to set their own implementation guidelines.
“For now, we are prioritizing the sectoral groups,” said Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez. “Then we will procure more rice so that others may also avail of the program.”
The city government has so far purchased 5,880 bags of rice worth P7.7 million.
In addition to the city’s major public markets — Burgos, Central, and Libertad — the P20-per-kilo rice will soon be available in clustered barangays.
Burdeos said they will begin barangay-level distribution following the ceremonial launch to ensure broader access to affordable rice./PN
