35,000 Bags of NFA Rice Arrive in Cebu for P20/Kilo Pilot Rollout

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the arrival of 35,000 bags of NFA well-milled rice in Cebu, marking the start of the pilot rollout of the government’s P20 per kilo rice program.

The rice shipment, sourced from the NFA’s Mindoro warehouse, is part of the 600,000-bag order placed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for the initiative aimed at offering affordable rice to residents.

Other provinces participating in the pilot include Siquijor (40,000 bags), Southern Leyte (30,000), and Bohol (3,000), bringing the total to 673,000 50-kilo bags. The pilot test will run until December 2025, gathering data for potential expansion.

Jointly implemented by the DA’s Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) and participating local government units (LGUs), the program subsidizes P13 per kilo—split evenly between FTI and LGUs—bringing the rice price to P20/kg. The rice is sourced from local farmers through NFA stocks.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has allocated P4.5 billion from his contingency fund to support the initiative, which is planned to run through 2028. The program is also active in 12 Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers across Metro Manila, with 32 more centers set to begin distribution on May 15 across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro, and Rizal.

Priority access will be given to solo parents, PWDs, senior citizens, and 4Ps beneficiaries.