Recipients of the subsidized rice program at PHP 29 per kilogram can now buy up to 30 kilograms of rice each month, following an increase in the monthly quota threefold by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced this during the “Trabaho at Serbisyong Pangkalusugan sa Bagong Pilipinas” event on Friday, stating that the new policy will take effect across the country right away.
“We encourage you to make use of this new policy, designed to address the requests from our economically disadvantaged compatriots for increased access to cheaper food options, particularly rice,” stated Tiu Laurel.
Rice priced at P29 per kilogram can be found in Kadiwa stores and centers, intended for vulnerable groups such as seniors, people with disabilities (PWDs), single parents, and those from low-income families.
The rice being sold through this program comes from the National Food Authority’s (NFA) reserve stock.
Last July, the DA
launched
The large-scale trial of the PHP 29 per kilogram rice initiative across 10 sites in Metro Manila and Bulacan was launched to make affordable rice accessible to disadvantaged groups.
In August, the Department of Agriculture introduced the Rice-for-All Program where rice was made available at PHP 45 per kilogram through specific Kadiwa stores. This offering differs from the previous P29-per-kilogram rice initiative designed specifically for low-income and disadvantaged individuals; instead, the Rice-for-All program caters to all consumers.
The present cost of rice through the Rice-for-All Program stands at ₱43 per kilogram for rice containing 5% broken grains, ₱35 per kilogram for rice with 25% broken grains, and ₱33 per kilogram for fully broken grains.
—Giselle Ombay/KG, GMA Integrated News
This article
DA increases monthly budget for P29/kg rice initiative
was originally published in
GMA News Online
.
