Story by AYIE LICSI.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared that the P20 per kilo rice program will continue and expand to more public markets in the country.

Marcos confirmed this in a vlog posted to his YouTube channel, in which he said that the P20 Rice Project is “here to stay.”

“Tuloy-tuloy na po ito. Sa ngayon, vulnerable sectors muna,” he said.

“It is achievable, it is sustainable. Kaya abangan ninyo in your nearest public markets.”

Marcos also said that the program won’t cause losses to farmers, as the National Food Authority buys dry palay at P19 to P23 per kilo and wet palay for P18 per kilo.

“Kahit ano pang maging presyo ng bigas, hindi po bababa dito ang pagbili ng NFA sa palay mula sa ating magsasaka,” he explained.

The government launched the “Benteng Bigas Meron na! (BMM)” in May, first making it available at Kadiwa centers for indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities. It was expanded to include 120,000 minimum wage earners later on.

This comes after the Department of Agriculture secured clearance from the Commission on Elections to sell P20-per-kilo subsidized rice, which will come from buffer stocks of the National Food Authority.

The P20 per kilo rice program was originally intended to run until December, but Marcos directed the DA to expand it nationwide until the end of his term in 2028.

Marcos’ cousin, Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, filed bills that would help sustain the P20 per kilo rice program in the House of Representatives on July 3. This includes House Bill No. 1, or the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment Act, to aid the NFA in stabilizing rice prices and House Bill No. 14 to expand the services of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.

Published Date: July 7, 2025