P20-Per-Kilo Rice to Launch in Mindanao by July 2025, Says Agriculture Chief

The Department of Agriculture (DA) will begin Phase Two of its P20-per-kilo rice program in Mindanao this July, targeting areas with high poverty rates, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced Monday.

Phase Two will roll out in the following provinces and cities: Zamboanga del Norte (which tops the list with a 37.7% poverty incidence), Basilan, Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Davao Oriental, Sorsogon, and Maguindanao del Norte.

Meanwhile, Phase Three of the program will begin in September and will include Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Catanduanes, Agusan del Sur, Sarangani, and Dinagat Islands.

Originally launched in the Visayas, the program aims to make affordable rice accessible nationwide, aligning with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s long-term goal of nationwide implementation.

Tiu Laurel emphasized that the P20-per-kilo rice will maintain high quality. He assured the public that the National Food Authority (NFA) is working to eliminate the perception that NFA rice is substandard.

To support the program, the NFA is scaling up operations—expanding its truck fleet, and increasing storage and drying facilities to better support procurement from local farmers, especially in remote communities.