CEBU CITY, Cebu (May 1, 2025)— Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Thursday spearheaded the rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice initiative in this Queen City of the South, fulfilling a campaign promise made by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in 2022.

“Today, Labor Day, we fulfill a promise made three years ago by President Bongbong Marcos to the Filipino people: to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo. That promise is now a reality—Benteng Bigas Meron Na!”said Tiu Laurel during the event held at the Cebu Capitol grounds.

Also during the roll out, Food Terminal Inc. and the Provincial Government of Cebu signed a memorandum of agreement on the shared subsidy of the P20 rice initiative pilot test in the province. The pilot test, which will run until December, will cover other regions in the Visayas and should benefit around 800,000 households or 4 million people.

Cebu LGUs have started drawing stocks from the NFA warehouse in the city, and between April 29 to May 1 has withdrawn around 3,700 50-kilo bags of rice. NFA continue to reposition stocks from rice producing areas in the Visayas and from Mindoro to areas like Cebu that have little rice output.

President Marcos has directed the DA to draw up plans to extend this food program until 2028 and expand it nationwide to cover as many financially-challenged Filipinos as possible.

To mark the rollout in Cebu, the agriculture chief personally manned the KADIWA ng Pangulo (KnP) booth, distributing the first few kilos of rice sourced from the National Food Authority’s (NFA) buffer stock. The rice is being sold at a subsidized rate of P20 per kilo under the KnP20 program—a flagship initiative aligned with the broader KADIWA framework.

The KnP20 label distinguishes the program from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) other rice initiatives, such as the “Rice-for-All” pilot, currently underway in parts of the Visayas and other regions. In the latter, rice subsidies are jointly funded by local government units and the DA’s Food Terminal Inc.

By law, the NFA is not permitted to sell rice directly to the general public. However, under the KnP20 program, rice is made available through targeted mechanisms, particularly for vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and beneficiaries of the government’s 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program). Each qualified household may purchase up to 30 kilos per month.

The DA is currently awaiting clarification from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on whether the program is exempt from the May 2–12 ban on the distribution of government aid during the election period.

Initially, the DA planned to roll out KnP20—short for Katuparan ng Pangakong  P20 na Bigas—in 16 locations across Metro Manila. According to Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, who oversees the KADIWA ng Pangulo program, initial selling points include public markets in Bagong Silang (Caloocan City), Kamuning (Quezon City), Mandaluyong, and Pasay.

Additional distribution centers are set up at:

• DA Central Office, Quezon Memorial Circle
• Bureau of Plant Industry, Malate, Manila
• Bureau of Animal Industry, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City
• Plant Fiber Development Authority, Las Piñas
• Bagong Sibol Market, Marikina City
• Disiplina Village Phase 1, Valenzuela City
• Food Terminal Inc., taguig city
• Barangay 183, Midway Park, Caloocan City
• Philippine National Police headquarters, Camp Crame
• Philippine Postal Corporation, Manila
• PNP Eastern Police District, Pasig City
• Pasay City Public Market, Libertad St.
• Kamuning Public Market, Cubao
• Mandaluyong Public Market I, Kalentong
• Mandaluyong Public Market II, Fabella Rd., Brgy. Addition Hills
• Bagong Silang Phase 9 Public Market, Caloocan City

If Comelec disallows rice distribution during the restricted period, the DA plans start selling the subsidized rates in earnest right after the midterm elections.

Secretary Tiu Laurel expressed optimism that Comelec would grant an exemption, citing the program’s potential to alleviate financial pressure on low-income families while also helping decongest NFA warehouses—freeing up space for the procurement from local farms of freshly harvested palay during the peak of the summer harvest season. ### (Photo by Jay Morales, DA-OSEC)