President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. personally launched the PHP20 per kg rice initiative on Wednesday at the Zapote Public Market in Bacoor, Cavite, as part of his administration’s efforts to make rice more affordable for low-income Filipino families.
The program, titled “Benteng Bigas, Meron (BBM) Na!”, is implemented through the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA), in collaboration with other agencies involved in food subsidy and social welfare programs.
The PHP20/kg rice will be available to priority sectors, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), through designated Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets across Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa.
DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra reported that the initial response from Bacoor residents has been overwhelmingly positive. “So nakita naman natin, sobrang mainit ang pagtanggap ng mga taga-Bacoor sa ating P20 na bigas,” (We’ve seen how warmly the people of Bacoor have welcomed the PHP20 rice) Guevarra stated.
She noted that the rice selling schedule may be adjusted based on local government requests. “Although ang request ng LGU ay sana araw-araw, gusto rin natin i-balance dahil may mga regular na bigasan din dito,” (While the LGU requested a daily schedule, we also want to balance it since there are local rice retailers here who also need to earn) she explained.
In Bacoor City, 500 sacks of rice—procured by the NFA from local farmers—were delivered through the DA’s Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlet at the Zapote-Bacoor Public Market. This rice allotment is sufficient to allow 2,500 residents to purchase 10 kg each at the subsidized price of PHP20 per kg. The DA’s Food Terminal Inc. buys the rice from the NFA and sells it through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo network and other participants in the PHP20 program.
Guevarra added that the national government aims to make the program a regular initiative starting this week, depending on supply and coordination with local governments. As the program enters its first phase, she mentioned that Phase 2 will begin later this month, expanding to more areas in Calabarzon and other provinces surrounding Metro Manila. Additionally, the rollout in selected local government units (LGUs) in the Visayas and Mindanao is also in the pipeline.
The DA is considering widening the scope of beneficiaries and, in the long term, aims to involve small-scale rice farmers in the program.
This PHP20/kg rice initiative is a campaign promise of President Marcos and is part of his broader agenda to address food inflation, stabilize prices, and strengthen agricultural value chains. Data from the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service indicate that between May 13 and June 30, more than 105,000 families in Luzon and the Visayas purchased over 804,000 kg of rice under the program.