Jean Mangaluz.

MANILA, Philippines — National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said a nationwide implementation of P20-per-kilo rice would be sustainable if the country improves its agricultural productivity.

The Department of Agriculture is set to launch a pilot program offering P20-per-kilo rice in several regions in the Visayas, with plans for a nationwide rollout already in the pipeline.

Balisacan added that the government’s goal is to boost people’s purchasing power, which includes efforts to bring down prices.

“In other sectors, not just rice, the key is increasing productivity. So if you are able to increase productivity, keeping prices low would be sustainable,” Balisacan said in a chance interview in Pasay City on Thursday, April 24. 

The economic development chief said the government needed to focus on enhancing agriculture, a sector particularly vulnerable to climate change. 

“It’s the sector that’s mostly affected…. the more that sector needs particular support from government, especially in generating technologies and infrastructure that protect the farmers from the vigors of nature,” Balisacan said. 

The P20-per-kilo rice is one of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s most famous campaign promises during the 2022 national elections. Three years into his term, however, rice prices remain well above the P20-per-kilo promise, retailing in Metro Manila from P33 to P65 per kilo, as of April 22. 

However, some have criticized the government’s bid for P20-per-kilo rice. 

Former senator Kiko Pangilinan, who is gunning for another term as senator in the May elections, said that not many would benefit from that in the long run. The farmers need more support to increase productivity. 

“It’s a stop gap measure, we must be able to address the root causes,” Pangilinan said in an interview on GMA. 

The Philippines was also struck with extreme droughts in 2024 due to the El Niño phenomenon, which recorded agricultural damage of up to P15.3 billion pesos. 

In the latter part of 2024, the country was also hit by a string of deadly cyclones, which caused further agricultural losses of around P10 billion. 

Meanwhile, the government has also attributed the high rice prices to middlemen and traders.

Published Date: April 25, 2025