ILOILO City – Farmers and farmworkers in Iloilo province and city can now buy affordable, good-quality rice at P20 per kilogram following the launch of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” project at the National Food Authority (NFA) Region 6 warehouse in Jaro on September 4.
Eligible beneficiaries are farmers listed in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) who till no more than two hectares. They may avail of up to 10 kilograms of rice per month, or 50 kilograms for a five-month allocation.
NFA Iloilo Branch Office Manager Glenda G. Paz said well-milled NFA rice will be made available daily, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. She added that the supply is sourced from local farmers in Iloilo and Guimaras.
“As we enter the harvest season across the province and nearby areas, we continue to encourage our farmers to sell their produce to the NFA. The national government offers competitive prices, with clean and dry palay purchased at P23 to P30 per kilo, and wet palay at P17 to P23 per kilo, depending on quality and prevailing weekly rates,” Paz said.
She admitted that the Iloilo branch has limited capacity for buying wet palay due to restricted drying facilities, but assured that the problem will soon be addressed. Under the Masagana Agri-Food Infrastructure Modernization Program, new facilities in Dumangas, Jaro, and Dueñas, Iloilo are expected to be operational by early 2026.
During the launch, farmers from Dumangas, Oton, New Lucena, and San Miguel were among the first to purchase rice at the subsidized price.
DA Region 6 OIC-Regional Technical Director Maria Teresa T. Solis said the project is a result of strong cooperation among NFA, DA, and Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI).
“While the DA provides inputs and support to our farmers, we are not the ones selling rice. That is why the cooperation between NFA and FTI is important in realizing this program,” she said.
Solis added that they hope to sustain the program and expand it across the region, pending approval from the NFA Central Office and FTI.
Meanwhile, NFA Region Acting Regional Manager Herrielle V. Jumagbas emphasized that farmers themselves deserve to benefit from the P20 rice program.
“NFA rice is of good quality because it comes directly from our farmers. It should not be disregarded or labeled otherwise, because it represents the hard work of our farmers,” she stressed.
The event was also attended by NFA Iloilo Assistant Branch Manager Philip Cesar B. Rumbaoa, Regional Farmers Action Council Chairperson Ricardo Doce, and representatives from the Iloilo City Agriculture Office./PN
