P20 rice supply sustainable, says Pres. Marcos

June 8, 2025 , 11:20 PM

(June 8, 2025) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday assured the public that the government will be able to sustain its P20 rice program, even as questions persist about its long-term viability.

This, amid warnings from some economists, who claim that the program may not be financially sustainable and could end up harming farmers over time.

“Marami pa rin ang nagdududa kung paano masu-sustain o patatagalin itong 20 peso rice na ito. ‘May stock ba tayo ng bigas? Kaya ba ito bayaran ng gobyerno?” said Pres. Marcos, as quoted by Presidential Communications Office.

“Masu-sustain po natin ‘yan basta nagtutulungan ang lahat. Ang sisiguruhin natin ay hindi mawawalan ng abot-kayang bigas ang ating mga kababayan.”

Under the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na program, rice is sold at P20 per kilo through Kadiwa outlets. The program currently serves vulnerable sectors such as 4Ps beneficiaries, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents.

The initiative is in line with Marcos’ 2022 campaign promise to bring down the price of rice and ease the burden of rising food costs for low-income families.

To make the program sustainable, Marcos said the government is also working to support local farmers. The president previously said that the Philippines is in talks with other countries to help maintain the supply needed for the program.

In a statement on Thursday, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the House is working with the Department of Agriculture to push for laws that would make the P20 per kilo rice initiative permanent.

“We will build a system where affordable rice is not a seasonal miracle, but a daily reality. To do that, we must uplift our farmers. We cannot ask them to feed the nation without feeding their hopes. These laws will give them better seeds, tools, market access, and dignity,” said Romualdez.

As of May 26, the National Food Authority has been buying clean and dry palay at P24 per kilo and fresh or wet palay at P18 per kilo, based on the agency’s latest figures.

(AGD)

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