By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – The Marcos administration is optimistic that all Filipinos, not just the vulnerable sectors, would be able to buy PHP20 per kilo of rice by 2026, Malacañang said on Friday.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro hoped that the plan is attainable to make the affordable rice available to all.
“Sa ngayon po sa Kadiwa centers, vulnerable sectors po ang makikinabang pansamantala hanggang December 2025 (For now, in the Kadiwa centers, vulnerable sectors will benefit temporarily until December 2025),” Castro said in a Palace press briefing.
“Pero ang plano po, sa susunod na taon po ay magkaroon po ng budget para maibigay po ang PHP20 na bigas kada kilo sa lahat. Iyan po ang plano. Depende pa po sa budget (But the plan next year is to have a budget to provide PHP20 of rice per kilo to everyone. That is the plan. It still depends on the budget).”
Castro said more Kadiwa centers are now offering cheaper but quality rice, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure food security, affordability, and accessibility.
The PHP20-per-kilo rice program, dubbed as “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na,” is available in 32 Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) sites in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday bared its plan to make the PHP20-per-kilo rice available in at least 55 KNP Centers and stalls in June.
The DA is also targeting the inclusion of areas in Mindanao to make cheaper rice available to poor households.
Besides the provincial government of Cebu, other local government units have also ordered NFA rice stocks, including Siquijor, Southern Leyte, and Bohol, with a total of 673,000 50-kg. bags, according to the Food and Terminal Inc. (PNA)
