HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez today hailed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for “turning aspiration into action” by directing the Department of Agriculture to begin selling rice at ₱20 per kilogram across Western, Central and Eastern Visayas next week.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the pilot program after a closed-door meeting with the Chief Executive and 12 Visayas governors in Cebu Wednesday, adding that the President wants it sustained nationwide until 2028.
Speaker Romualdez described the initiative as the first big step toward “abot-kayang bigas for every Filipino family.”
“Simula pa lang ito. Gagawin nating alaala, kasaysayan na lang ang mahal na bigas. Sa tulong ng whole-of-government effort, masusundan ito hanggang maabot ng programa ang bawat sulok ng bansa,” said the leader of the 306-strong House of Representatives.
He noted that retail prices—which topped ₱60 per kilo in some markets last year—have already slid down to the ₱35-₱39 range for many consumers, with the ₱20 target now within sight.
The Speaker praised Visayas LGUs for sharing the subsidy cost with the national government, calling the arrangement “isang kongkretong porma ng tunay na bayanihan economics.”
Speaker Romualdez said the Visayas launch, capped at 10 kilos per week for each household until logistical kinks are ironed out, will enable the DA to assess warehousing capacity, inter-island shipping routes and Kadiwa retail points to address issues before a wider rollout.
For long-term solutions, Speaker Romualdez said the House is committed to supporting agricultural modernization—mechanization, high-quality seed distribution, soil-health programs and solar-powered irrigation—so the vision of “abot-kayang bigas” endures beyond the pilot implementation.
He said these investments constitute “the backbone of durable, cheap, and plentiful rice” as he bared that the House is considering to establish financing mechanisms that funnel tariff savings and public-private resources into modern post-harvest infrastructure.
The Speaker added that the House is also considering various proposals to ensure a sustainable and nationwide rollout of an affordable rice program.
Confident that the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate will secure a working majority in the Upper Chamber after the May 2025 midterm elections, Speaker Romualdez is optimistic that Congress will be able to act swiftly on such proposed measures.
“Marami pa tayong batas na dapat ipasa para maipagpatuloy at mapalawig ang ₱20-rice program,” he said.
“Kapag nagtagumpay ang Alyansa sa Senado, mas madali nating maisusulong ang mga reporma sa logistics, farm support, at digital subsidies na magtitiyak na hindi pansamantala kundi pangmatagalan ang tagumpay na ito—para sa magsasaka, para sa mamimili, at para sa buong bayan.”
The House Speaker closed with a call for vigilance and shared responsibility: “Bantayan ninyo kami, at babantayan namin ang presyo,” he told consumers.
“The President has cleared the path. Congress will help him pave and widen that road so no Filipino family is left behind. Sa sipag ng magsasaka at disiplina ng bayan, darating ang araw na ang gutom ay alaala na lang at ang abot-kayang bigas ay karapatan at natatamasa ng lahat.”
