The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday said that rice farmers in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon will be the initial beneficiaries of the subsidized P20 per kilo rice program starting August 13.
Farmers under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) will be allowed to purchase up to 10 kilograms a month from National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses. They may also opt to buy in bulk — up to 50 kilograms to cover several months.
The initiative, aimed at supporting both food security and farmer welfare, could release an estimated 520,000 50-kg bags of rice monthly if all 2.9 million RSBSA-registered rice farmers nationwide participate. The NFA plans to replenish stocks by buying palay at better prices, providing farmers with more selling opportunities.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the program is being fine-tuned, with plans to include the country’s 2.8 million fisherfolk in the near future. Distribution will be through Kadiwa and Food Terminal Inc. booths in NFA warehouses.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously ordered expanding the program to cover up to 15 million households—or roughly 60 million Filipinos—by 2026, with the goal of sustaining it through the end of his term in 2028. An ₱18 billion budget has been earmarked for the program next year, on top of a ₱9 billion palay procurement fund.
The DA is also preparing to purchase 150,000 metric tons of pork under the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) import scheme. Most of this will be sold at reduced prices through Kadiwa outlets, with 30,000 MT for meat processors to help stabilize canned goods prices.
Imported pork under MAV pays a tax of 15 percent, compared to the regular 25 percent. The DA aims to roll out the pork subsidy program by August in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
Rice prices in public markets at present range from ₱30 to ₱65 per kilo even as pork prices remain high, with pork belly selling for up to ₱480/kg. The DA hopes both rice and pork prices will stabilize by December.
