Marcos tasks DA, DBM to expand P29/kg, Rice-for-All programs

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has tasked the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to expand the Rice-for-All and P29 per kilo rice programs under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo Program.

In a social media post, Marcos ordered the DA and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) "to meet with us for a single agenda, to ensure every Filipino family has access to affordable rice."

"The DA and DBM have been directed to expand the P29 [rice program and] Rice-for-All program and increase our Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers from 21 to 300 by mid-2025. This will bring affordable rice within reach for more communities across the country," Marcos said.

Earlier, the DA bared that for the eventual full implementation of the P29 rice program for the vulnerable sector, the initial mass trial could run for the "next six months."

The agency also said the nationwide full implementation of the program could run until the end of the Marcos administration.

The full implementation of the program will require approximately 69,000 metric tons of rice to provide 10 kilos of rice per month at P29 per kilo to the targeted 6.9 million vulnerable households.

In August, the DA launched the Rice-for-All Program wherein rice was initially sold at P45 a kilo at select Kadiwa outlets.

Unlike the P29 rice initiative for indigent and vulnerable customers, the Rice-for-All program is available to all consumers.

Last October, the DA lowered the selling price of its rice under the Rice-for-All program to P43 per kilo.

Meanwhile, Marcos urged local government units to purchase palay directly from local farmers.

"This way, our farmers receive fair prices for their hard work, and we can secure a steady supply of rice for everyone," he said.

The Department of Finance and the National Economic and Development Authority have also been tasked to address rising input costs and climate impacts that later affect food prices, according to Marcos.

"This is a united effort to support our farmers and keep rice prices within reach for every Filipino family," Marcos said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News