The Department of Agriculture (DA) has officially launched a pilot program offering rice at P20 per kilo in the Visayas, with plans to expand the initiative across the country, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced on Wednesday.
The program, unveiled after a private meeting between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and the 12 Visayas governors at the Cebu Provincial Capitol, is part of the administration’s efforts to make rice more affordable to Filipino consumers.
“The President has actually given the directive… to formulate this to be sustainable and ituloy-tuloy hanggang 2028,” Laurel said in a press briefing, referring to the original DA plan that was only meant to last until December.
Under the pilot program, buyers can purchase up to 10 kilograms of rice per week—or 40 kilograms monthly—at P20 per kilo. Laurel noted that this initiative also helps decongest DA warehouses that remain “punong-puno pa rin… ng bigas at palay.”
He emphasized that the DA has been working around the clock to deliver on the President’s long-standing campaign promise. “We have stocks of rice that can be sold at P20 per kilo,” he said.
When asked about funding, Laurel estimated that the government would need “anywhere from P3.5 to P4.5 billion” to support the program depending on how it progresses.
Marcos previously said his goal of slashing rice prices hinges on fixing the value chain—ensuring that every step from production to distribution adds efficiency and value.
The DA is now eyeing to transform this pilot initiative into a long-term, nationwide program by 2028.
