DA launches P20/kg rice pilot, halts sales due to elections

On Thursday, May 1, 2025, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. launched a pilot program selling rice at P20 per kilogram in Cebu City, fulfilling President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s campaign promise.

Despite a ban on the distribution of government aid from May 13th onwards, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia obtained permission for an existing local market program, allowing the pilot test in Cebu on May 1st.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) signed an agreement with Food Terminal Inc., the Provincial Government of Cebu, and local government units to implement this cheaper rice initiative now known as Benteng Bigas Meron na (Benteng BBM) or Katuparan ng Pangakong P20 na Bigas (KnP20).

The DA announced on Thursday that it is temporarily halting the sale of P20 per kilogram rice until the end of the 2025 election period in compliance with directives from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to prevent the program from being politicized or used for campaigning.

Local government units have started drawing stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse; between April 29 and May 1, they withdrew 3,700 50-kilo bags of rice.

The DA is currently awaiting clarification from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on whether the program can resume after the election period.