By: Faith Argosino – Reporter

MANILA, Philippines — Despite some farmers’ laments on its “unsustainability,” President Marcos assured the public that the P20-per-kilo rice program “is here to stay,” describing it as the opposite—“achievable” and “sustainable.”

Following the initiative’s implementation, an INQUIRER.net report revealed concerns surrounding the true cost and reach of the government’s P20-per-kilo rice promise. A farmer even pointed out that only those who could not afford a P50 rice would benefit from the program, and not farmers or farm workers.

“With the cooperation of many agencies of the national government and now in partnership with the local government, P20 rice is here to stay. It is achievable, it is sustainable. So look out for it in your nearest public market,” Marcos said in his vlog uploaded on Sunday.

“There are those who say that they have a fear that because the price of rice has been lowered, the price of palay will also go down. That is not true. We have a minimum buying price. The NFA (National Food Authority) will buy wet rice at P18. Dried palay from P19 to P23,” he added.

Aside from this, reports also revealed that farmers were forced to sell palay at a lower price of about P14 to P15 per kilo despite the implementation of a P20 support price due to limited access to NFA buying stations, urgent cash needs, and middlemen.

But the President assured farmers that the price of palay will no longer lower further.

“No matter what the price of rice is, the NFA will not reduce the price of rice purchased from our farmers. The reason why traders can buy rice from our farmers at a low price is that they do not have any processing facilities, so the rice they hold is wet. They are forced to sell it immediately at any price offered by the trader,” Marcos said.

“That’s why we are spreading rice processing plants, and hundreds of dryers, so that the farmer now has a dryer, he can buy where he can take his dried palay. So he won’t be forced to sell his rice at whatever price the trader gives him,” he added. /cb

Published Date: July 6, 2025