BUSINESS
Advocates Philippines
P20 Rice Coming Soon To Visayas; DA Starts Moving Stocks For Marcos' Promise
Photo credit: DA
Heads up, Visayas. Big news is coming your way: Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has just given the go-signal for the National Food Authority (NFA) to start moving rice stocks to the region. This is all in preparation for the much-awaited P20-per-kilo rice program—a major campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
But don’t expect the rice to arrive overnight.
“It will take several weeks to transfer tens, even hundreds of thousands of 50-kilo bags from our warehouses, especially from Mindoro, to various parts of the Visayas,” Secretary Tiu Laurel shared. He also chairs the NFA Council, so you can bet he’s keeping a close eye on the rollout.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) already secured the needed clearance from the Commission on Elections to push through with the program. Good thing too, because this affordable rice project will be a team effort: the subsidy will be split between DA’s Food Terminal Inc. and the local government units that have thrown their full support behind the move.
As of last week, the NFA’s buffer stock is looking strong at a five-year high—378,157 metric tons, which is about 7.56 million bags of rice! That’s enough to feed the entire country for 10 days.
Iloilo’s NFA warehouses alone are stacked high with around 862,409 sacks. But Administrator Larry Lacson said that’s not enough for everyone, so they’ll be pulling additional supplies from Mindoro, where they’ve got more than 830,000 bags stored.
Just to give you an idea: moving 40,000 sacks of rice from Mindoro to Cebu alone could take up to a month! So, it’s a serious logistical operation.
Why start in the Visayas, you ask? Secretary Tiu Laurel pointed out that poverty rates there are much higher than the national average. In areas like Negros Island and Eastern Visayas, more than 20% of the population lives below the poverty line. That’s double the national average of 10.9%.
Visayas governors are also on board, and they’ve pledged to help cover part of the subsidy to make this program happen.
Initially, the P20-per-kilo rice was planned to run only until December. But after President Marcos’ recent directive, the DA is now reviewing how to expand and sustain the program across the entire country all the way to 2028.
Besides helping millions of families put affordable rice on the table, this initiative will also make room in NFA warehouses—giving the agency more space to buy palay from our hardworking local farmers at better prices.
So, Visayas, get ready. Affordable rice is on its way, and if all goes well, the whole country will soon follow.
But don’t expect the rice to arrive overnight.
“It will take several weeks to transfer tens, even hundreds of thousands of 50-kilo bags from our warehouses, especially from Mindoro, to various parts of the Visayas,” Secretary Tiu Laurel shared. He also chairs the NFA Council, so you can bet he’s keeping a close eye on the rollout.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) already secured the needed clearance from the Commission on Elections to push through with the program. Good thing too, because this affordable rice project will be a team effort: the subsidy will be split between DA’s Food Terminal Inc. and the local government units that have thrown their full support behind the move.
As of last week, the NFA’s buffer stock is looking strong at a five-year high—378,157 metric tons, which is about 7.56 million bags of rice! That’s enough to feed the entire country for 10 days.
Iloilo’s NFA warehouses alone are stacked high with around 862,409 sacks. But Administrator Larry Lacson said that’s not enough for everyone, so they’ll be pulling additional supplies from Mindoro, where they’ve got more than 830,000 bags stored.
Just to give you an idea: moving 40,000 sacks of rice from Mindoro to Cebu alone could take up to a month! So, it’s a serious logistical operation.
Why start in the Visayas, you ask? Secretary Tiu Laurel pointed out that poverty rates there are much higher than the national average. In areas like Negros Island and Eastern Visayas, more than 20% of the population lives below the poverty line. That’s double the national average of 10.9%.
Visayas governors are also on board, and they’ve pledged to help cover part of the subsidy to make this program happen.
Initially, the P20-per-kilo rice was planned to run only until December. But after President Marcos’ recent directive, the DA is now reviewing how to expand and sustain the program across the entire country all the way to 2028.
Besides helping millions of families put affordable rice on the table, this initiative will also make room in NFA warehouses—giving the agency more space to buy palay from our hardworking local farmers at better prices.
So, Visayas, get ready. Affordable rice is on its way, and if all goes well, the whole country will soon follow.
Apr 28, 2025
We are dedicated storytellers with a passion for bringing your brand to life. Our services range from news and media features to brand promotion and collaborations.
Interested? Visit our
Contact Us page for more information. To learn more about what we offer, check out our latest article on services and opportunities.
