09-06-2025
DA eyes more locations for P20/kilo rice
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking to release the P20-per-kilo rice in more locations in the near term, in line with its goal for a nationwide release by January 1, 2026, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Monday.
In a radio interview, Tiu Laurel said there are now nearly 80 KADIWA or Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita Centers that are currently selling rice at P20 per kilo.
'Sa Cebu meron na, Bacolod, susunod is Siquijor tapos baka Bohol then CamSur (Camarines Sur) magkakaroon din. San Juan sa Metro Manila and Navotas, malapit na rin,' he said in an interview on GMA Super Radyo dzBB.
(Cebu already has, Bacolod, Siquijor will be next then maybe Bohol then CamSur will also have. San Juan in Metro Manila and Navotas are also soon.)
This comes as the administration seeks to lower the price of commercial rice, with the P20-per-kilo rice — a campaign promise of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. during his presidential run in 2022 — being sold in KADIWA Centers starting in May, with the pilot set to go through December.
The DA earlier said it plans a nationwide rollout on January 1, 2026, but in the meantime, the P20-per-kilo rice will be available in KADIWA Centers and through local government units.
Under the program, the government is set to procure rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) at P33 per kilo. These will then be sold at P20 per kilo, with the P13 per kilo subsidy to be shared by the national government and the local government units at P6.50 each.
Tiu Laurel in January said the NFA is set to buy at least 300,000 metric tons of rice this year, with optimism that the country will hit a record for palay production.
'Pasensya na ho sa mga mamamayan at kailangan lang namin ma-implement ito stage by stage dahil may mga kulang pa rin kaming logistics tulad ng truck, katulad ng driver, pero 'yung bigas marami naman ho,' Tiu Laurel said.
(Apologies to our countrymen as we just really need to implement this stage by stage because we still lack logistics like trucks and drivers, but we have a lot of rice.)
DA monitoring shows that prices of local commercial rice in Metro Manila markets range from P38.17 per kilo to P57.73 per kilo as of June 4, 2025.
Moving forward, Tiu Laurel said it would be better for the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) to be amended to bring back the authority of the NFA to sell rice directly to markets, which is now only possible through the declaration of the food security emergency on rice.
'Isa pang problema, kung ma-lift 'yun, titigil 'yung programa natin kaya kailangan talaga maamyendahan ito,' he said, noting that the DA is still studying the rules and legalities of the matter.
(One more problem is that if [the food security emergency] is lifted, the [P20-per-kilo rice] program will stop so we really need to amend [the RTL].)
The RTL, which took effect on March 5, 2019, allows unlimited importation of rice as long as private sector traders secure a phytosanitary permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry and pay the 35-percent tariff for shipments from neighbors in Southeast Asia.
Signed into law by former President Rodrigo Duterte, the law earmarks P10 billion for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), of which P5 billion will be allotted to farm mechanization and P3 billion to seedlings. The fund intends to ensure that rice imports would not drown out the agriculture sector and rob farmers of their livelihood.
'Kailangan ho nating maamyendahan 'yung RTL. Hindi namin sinasabi 'yung RTL ay mali totally, hindi ganon ang posisyon ng DA. Kailangan maibalik 'yung natanggal,' Tiu Laurel said.
(We need to amend the RTL. We are not saying the RTL is totally wrong, that is not the position of the DA. Those that were removed must be returned.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
