Funding seen sufficient for expanded P20 rice rollout

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said the P20-per-kilo rice program will be offered in more regions, with funding and rice inventories deemed sufficient to support such an expansion.

The DA announced the start of selling of P20-per-kilo rice in government-subsidized minimarkets, known as Kadiwa stores, on May 13. The launch had been pushed back from May 1 to comply with the ban on government spending during the elections.

“While the program initially focused on the Visayas, a review of the DA’s budget and NFA stocks has revealed that it can now be extended to other regions, including Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, through KADIWA centers and local government units involved in the national food crisis emergency initiative,” the DA said.

The program had been initially scheduled for a six-month pilot in the Visayas.

The DA said 12 Kadiwa markets in Metro Manila will begin offering P20 rice on Wednesday, followed by 32 more sites in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro, and Rizal by May 15.

LGUs will share the P13-per-kilo subsidy for the rice with Food Terminal, Inc. Eligibility of beneficiaries will be determined by the LGUs.

Vulnerable groups — including solo parents, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and beneficiaries of the government’s 4Ps program — will have access to the P20 rice at KADIWA centers.

“With the expanded area covered by the pilot run, the DA has decided to adjust the monthly limit to 30 kilos per household — the same level set for the KADIWA P20 rice program,” the DA said.

The pilot test is expected to serve as many as two million households — or 10 million individuals — until December.

The DA said the program also seeks to clear out stock buildup in National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses to pave the way for more grain procurement from farmers. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza