Malacañang issued a warning on Thursday to rice traders against exploiting the government’s PHP20 per kg rice program to justify lowering their buying price of palay (unhusked rice). Palace Press Officer Claire Castro urged farmers to report any abusive practices to the authorities.
Reports have reached the Department of Agriculture (DA) indicating that some traders are citing the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” (BBM Na) program to purchase palay at unfairly low prices from farmers.
Castro encouraged farmers who experience such exploitation to report directly to the DA, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), or the Department of Justice (DOJ), assuring them that the government will take legal action against abusive traders.
“Sabihin lamang po sa amin sa DA, sa DILG, sa DOJ at kami po ang magdedemanda sa mga traders na umaabuso (Report them to us at the DA, DILG, or DOJ, and we will file cases against abusive traders),” Castro stated during a press briefing at the Palace.
She assured farmers that the administration would act on verified complaints, especially those supported by sufficient evidence.
“Huwag po kayong matakot basta lamang kumpletuhin ninyo ang inyong mga ebidensiya… maaari po kasi itong maging kaso na economic sabotage kaya huwag po kayo mag-atubili na magsumbong sa amin (Do not be afraid, just complete your evidence… this can be a case of economic sabotage, so do not hesitate to report them to us),” she added.
The PHP20 per kg rice initiative, a key campaign promise of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., is part of the administration’s broader agenda to combat food inflation, stabilize prices, and boost agricultural value chains.
Under the program, eligible sectors—including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and 4Ps beneficiaries—can purchase subsidized rice through designated Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa.
Earlier this week, President Marcos assured farmers that the National Food Authority (NFA) would maintain its buying price for palay despite the ongoing rollout of the PHP20 rice program. He stated that the current price range for palay—PHP19 to PHP23 per kg for dry palay and PHP18 per kg for wet palay—will be upheld.
“Hindi na ‘yan bababa dyan (That will not go any lower),” Marcos said during a dialogue with this year’s Gawad Saka awardees in Nueva Ecija.