The Department of Agriculture (DA) has deferred the P20 per kilo rice program until after the May 2025 elections to comply with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 10-day ban on socio-civic aid.
Agriculture assistant secretary Genevieve Guevarra emphasized that the decision was made to ensure smooth implementation and adherence to election-related restrictions from May 2 to 12.
Despite the deferral, the ongoing P29 per kilo rice program will continue in Kadiwa Centers nationwide.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said 2,500 indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and beneficiaries of the government conditional cash transfer program bought 500 bags of the P20/kg rice at the launch of the program on Labor Day in Cebu.
“May 13, ‘yung target natin, Central, Eastern and Western Visayas kasama na rin ‘yung NIR (Negros). Isasama na rin ‘yung Kadiwa centers sa Metro Manila at ‘yung mga areas na nagparticipate during food security emergency declaration, gaya ng sa Bicol, Camarines Sur, Bulacan at iba pang lugar,” he said,
The agriculture chief said the DA has enough supply for the program this year at 370,000 metric tons or 6 million bags. Distribution will continue until December, he said, with plans to continue the program from 2026 until the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s term in 2028.
Guevarra confirmed that the P29 rice was granted exemption from the election ban, ensuring its availability to the public during the restricted period.
Guevarra assured the public that the National Food Authority (NFA) has sufficient rice stocks to sustain the program, with approximately 370,000 metric tons currently stored in warehouses that are expected to cover demand until December 2025.
Under the P20 rice program, each household is allowed to purchase up to 30 kilos, compared to the average monthly household consumption of 40 kilos.
The DA is also considering expanding the program to benefit more households in the future, and a probable increase in allocation per family.
Currently, each accredited Kadiwa vendor receives a weekly delivery of 50 sacks from the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), serving around 1,000 families per site based on DA monitoring.
The DA anticipates an increase in the number of households availing of the program and aims to maintain current allocations to manage supply effectively.
