The government's program to sell rice at P20 per kilo has begun in some areas in Visayas and Metro Manila. According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), 35,000 sacks of rice have arrived in Cebu from Mindoro for the pilot test of the project. In Metro Manila, sales have also begun at 12 Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets.
Among the provinces that joined the P20 per kilo rice price are Bohol, Siquijor, and Southern Leyte. In total, the four provinces ordered 673,000 sacks of rice, equivalent to 33,650 tons. Cebu ordered 600,000 sacks, while Siquijor ordered 40,000 sacks, Southern Leyte 30,000 sacks, and Bohol 3,000 sacks.
With the help of Food Terminal Inc. and local governments, P13 per kilo is being shared to lower the price of rice. The target is to complete the delivery of rice to Cebu by June, and another 240,000 sacks are expected to arrive from Mindoro and Iloilo.
There is P4.5 billion funding from the President Marcos' contingency fund to support this program, which is expected to last until December 2025. The DA also said that rice needs to be released from NFA warehouses to prepare for the purchase of rice from local farmers.
