By: Mary Joy Salcedo

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s program of P20 per kilo of rice has created “so much injustice” for farmers, Teodoro Mendoza, a scientist at the University of the Philippines and Science Director of the Community Legal Help and Policy Center said this Monday.

His statement comes right before the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“The P20 price of rice is felt, especially among the farmers. It created so much injustice for them,” Teodoro emphasized in an interview with INQUIRER.net.

“The price of rice has plummeted today, despite our great president’s boast that rice is P20. That is the biggest disaster our farmers have ever experienced,” he added.

According to Mendoza, many farmers are forced to sell palay for only P8 to P12, noting that it deteriorates their livelihood.

“The P20 price of rice—that was a campaign promise that many of our voters believed in. That’s one of the reasons he won – because they didn’t understand what the impact would be on the general public,” said Mendoza.

The P20 per kilo of rice program was one of the highlights of Marcos’ promises when he ran in the presidential elections in 2022.

Malacañang earlier said that the P20 per kilo program is already available in some Kadiwa Centers in different parts of the country, such as in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro and Rizal.

Aside from the P20 per kilo of rice program, Mendoza also lamented that the Rice Tarrification Law passed under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, which increased importation and lowered the price of palay in local farms.

Published Date: July 28, 2025