ILOILO City – To directly support small-scale rice farmers and fulfill one of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s key campaign promises, the National Food Authority (NFA) will launch the subsidized sale of P20-per-kilo rice in Western Visayas beginning Aug. 20.
The program, which aims to help people cope with economic hardships and stabilize their household food supply, will initially cover provinces such as Capiz, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental through NFA warehouses.
A regional expansion will follow on Aug. 27 with six more distribution sites.
“This is a direct support mechanism for our rice farmers who are also food consumers,” said NFA Western Visayas regional manager Jasmin Lintag.
“The P20 rice will be exclusively available to farmers cultivating two hectares or less and are registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).”
Each eligible farmer can buy up to 10 kilos per month.
Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized the fairness of the initiative: “It is only fair that those who cultivate the rice we consume have access to the P20-per-kilo rice that we are making available to vulnerable sectors, including minimum wage earners.”
To improve accessibility, KADIWA-FTI booths will be established in participating NFA warehouses, offering direct sale points for P20 rice.
The rollout in Western Visayas is part of a broader national initiative that also covers Regions 2 and 3. According to the Department of Agriculture, about 2.9 million RSBSA-registered farmers nationwide will initially benefit from the program.
President Marcos has instructed the agriculture department to expand the program’s reach to 15 million households — or roughly 60 million Filipinos — by 2026.
To sustain the initiative, a P9 billion allocation for palay procurement has been proposed in next year’s General Appropriations Act, with an additional P18 billion earmarked for the program in 2026.
The administration intends to maintain the program until the end of Marcos’ term in 2028, positioning it as a flagship anti-poverty and food security measure./PN
