THE Department of Agriculture (DA) expanded the P20-per-kilo rice program to more Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers on Thursday, fulfilling President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s promise to make affordable food accessible to a larger number of Filipinos.
After launching the subsidized rice program in 12 Kadiwa centers on Tuesday, the day after the May 12 midterm elections, 20 additional centers across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro, and Rizal began selling P20-a-kilo rice on Thursday.
“The Marcos administration is determined to expand this P20 program nationwide, ensuring that the most vulnerable—senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and members of the 4Ps—have access to affordable, high-quality rice that they can rely on,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.
Currently, beneficiaries of the P20 rice program are allowed to purchase up to 30 kilos of rice per month.
“This is about putting food on the table for families who need it most, and we’re working to ensure this support reaches more Filipino households and continues through 2028,” he added.
The rice sold at Kadiwa centers comes from the National Food Authority (NFA), which procures palay from local rice producers at prices higher than those offered by private traders, ensuring better returns for farmers.
Most Kadiwa centers are open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. In addition to rice, they also offer fresh vegetables and other agricultural products.
On Thursday, Secretary Tiu Laurel led a “salo-salo” at the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry compound along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City, allowing consumers, journalists, and DA employees to sample the NFA rice sold at KADIWA centers.
The subsidized rice program, which began as a pilot test in the Visayas on May 1, is expected to provide affordable, high-quality rice to as many as 2 million households—roughly 10 million Filipinos—through December.
