President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to fast-track the nationwide rollout of the government’s ₱20-per-kilo rice program, aimed at shielding vulnerable families from rising costs triggered by the ongoing energy emergency.
The initiative, branded “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”, is expanding operations by extending selling hours and opening more outlets nationwide.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed that the expansion is vital to stabilize food access as fuel and logistics costs continue to push retail prices upward.
“We have sufficient food supply, but elevated fuel and logistics costs are pushing market prices to levels that further contain the budgets of many Filipinos,” Tiu Laurel said. “By expanding access to affordable rice and essential goods, we are directly easing that pressure and ensuring vulnerable sectors are protected while we work to stabilize both prices and supply.”
As of early April 2026, the DA has set up 932 selling sites, including KADIWA outlets, National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses, and local government centers. The program has already reached 6.45 million beneficiaries, prioritizing senior citizens, 4Ps households, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and farmers and fisherfolk.
To sustain the program, the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) and the NFA signed a 2026 agreement under a fast-tracked agency-to-agency framework. FTI will act as the procuring entity, while the NFA will supply rice stocks. Backed by a ₱3 billion allocation—part of a larger ₱10 billion rice program—the DA aims to procure 1.8 million sacks of well-milled rice and open 900 more selling sites, focusing on provinces such as Capiz, Bukidnon, Cebu, Cotabato, and Catanduanes.
The program also supports local producers by reinvesting rice sales revenue into buying fresh palay from farmers, freeing up NFA warehouse space for peak harvest seasons.
“We assure that this budget will be used to secure better prices for our farmers, especially during the harvest season. In some areas, we have already increased our buying price to as much as ₱30 per kilo to prevent a drop in farmgate palay prices,” NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said. “The NFA continues to step in to protect the income of our farmers.”