ABS-CBN
P20/kilo rice officially sold in the Visayas
The Philippines has launched a pilot program offering rice at ₱20 per kilo, named Katuparan ng Pangakong P20 na Bigas (KnP20), starting in Cebu City and other Visayas provinces.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the Cebu launch, emphasizing it fulfills President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s 2022 campaign promise and aims to make affordable rice accessible.
The program sources rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) buffer stocks and is sold through Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) stores, with an exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for selling during the election period.
Simultaneous events were also held in Bohol, Iloilo, and Samar, with many Filipinos lining up to purchase the cheaper rice.
The program will prioritize the indigent, with each person allowed to buy a maximum of 10 kilos per week or 40 kilos per month.
Cebu and the state-run Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) have signed a memorandum of agreement for a shared subsidy; if the actual price is P33/kilo, the province subsidizes P7.50 and the national government shoulders the other half.
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The Department of Agriculture (DA) will pilot a program selling rice at P20 per kilo in the Visayas by next week, following a meeting between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and President Marcos.
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The Department of Agriculture (DA) is piloting its P20 per kilogram rice program, with one town in Cebu starting sales on April 30, ahead of the official May 1 launch in the province.
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The Department of Agriculture (DA) launched a pilot test for its P20-per-kilo subsidized rice program, "Benteng Bigas Meron Na!" or "KnP20 program" in Cebu City on Labor Day, May 1, 2025.
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Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has announced that the P20-per-kilo subsidized rice program will utilize a P5 billion contingency fund from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s office.
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The Department of Agriculture (DA) will launch a pilot program selling rice at PHP20 per kilogram, with an initial rollout in Cebu province starting in the first week of May.
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