The Department of Agriculture (DA) strongly rebuked on Thusday Vice President Sara Duterte over what it described as a “deeply hurtful” and baseless remark suggesting that the government’s P20-per-kilo rice initiative involves substandard rice fit for animals, not people.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the National Food Authority (NFA) Council, expressed “disappointment” after Duterte was quoted questioning the quality of rice to be sold under the NFA’s subsidy program. In a statement, Tiu Laurel said the Duterte remarks were not only misleading but also offensive to the millions of Filipino farmers who produce the rice.
“With all due respect to the Vice President, the Department of Agriculture family is deeply hurt by her suggestion that NFA rice to be sold is ‘hindi pang tao, pang hayop,’” he said.
Tiu Laurel said that at the DA, officials and staff themselves eat NFA rice daily, attesting to its safety and quality.
“We are fully committed to delivering quality rice to our people. At the DA, we cook and eat NFA rice every day. We can personally vouch for its quality and safety,” he added.
The NFA, by law, is tasked to source rice exclusively from local farmers—a policy meant to bolster the domestic agricultural sector. The DA chief stressed that casting NFA rice as unfit for human consumption is an affront to these farmers and the food security they help provide.
“Saying the rice that NFA distributes is animal feed is an affront to the quality of rice our millions of hardworking farmers produce. This is false… We are proud of the quality of Filipino rice,” he said.
In a call for unity, Tiu Laurel urged Duterte to set aside political differences and support the administration’s subsidized rice program, which he said is meant to ease the burden on Filipino families.
“We urge the Vice President to join us in this noble endeavor. This initiative is for the Filipino people—whom we have all sworn to serve. Their well-being must remain our highest priority,” he said.
The P20 per kilo rice is set to be piloted in the Visayas region, though no specific rollout date has been announced. According to the DA, the program will initially require around P3.5 to P4.5 billion in subsidies. Originally slated to run until late 2025 or early 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has since ordered the DA to make the initiative sustainable through 2028.
The Vice President, who has increasingly made public statements diverging from the Marcos administration’s key policy positions, has yet to respond to the DA’s appeal or clarify the context of her controversial remark.
