By Giselle P. Jordan

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is accelerating the nationwide rollout of a P20-per-kilogram rice initiative amid the ongoing energy emergency and increasing logistics costs.

The department said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had directed it to scale up the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! (BBM Na!) program by extending selling hours and opening more distribution outlets.

Selling sites nationwide numbered 932 as for the first quarter, the DA said. These include Kadiwa outlets, National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses, local government units, national government agencies and other sellers accredited by the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI).

It added that as of April 7, approximately 6.45 million beneficiaries had been served across the country.

The DA said it was planning to nearly double the number of selling sites with the rollout of an additional 900, prioritizing “high-need” provinces like Capiz, Bukidnon, Cebu, Cotabato and Catanduanes.

“We have sufficient food supply, but elevated fuel and logistics costs are pushing market prices to levels that further contain the budgets of many Filipinos,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

“By expanding access to affordable rice and essential goods, we are directly easing that pressure and ensuring vulnerable sectors are protected while we work to stabilize both prices and supply,” he added.

FTI President Joseph Lo, meanwhile, said that “given the current instability in market prices due to external conflicts, we are seeing a significant increase in buyers turning to our outlets to access quality rice at lower cost.”

“We are closely coordinating with government partners to manage this demand and are preparing to expand our network further, with a target of reaching 1,800 P20 rice selling sites nationwide by the end of 2026.”

Eligible beneficiaries of the BBM Na! program include senior citizens, those covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and farmers and fisherfolk, among others.

The FTI and the NFA have also forged an agreement that includes procuring 1.8 million 50-kilogram sacks of well-milled rice using a P3-billion budget, which is part of a P10-billion fund allocated for the government’s Rice for All program.

The DA said the program was designed to be sustainable and to benefit both farmers and consumers.

“We assure that this budget will be used to secure better prices for our farmers, especially during the harvest season,” NFA administrator Larry Lacson said.

“In some areas, we have already increased our buying price to as much as 30 per kilo to prevent a drop in farmgate palay prices.”

Revenue from P20/kilo rice sales will be reinvested into purchasing more palay from local farmers. Aside from this, NFA is selling its stocks to free up warehouse space, allowing it to continue buying palay from farmers and prevent farmgate prices from crashing. GISELLE JORDAN

Published Date: April 20, 2026