Marcos expands PHP20/kilo rice program to Cavite markets

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. expanded his PHP20 per kilo rice program to public markets in Cavite province on Wednesday, with the launch of the 94th outlet at Zapote-Bacoor Public Market in Bacoor.

The initiative now allows beneficiaries such as 4Ps recipients, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents to purchase up to 10 kilos of subsidized rice through designated Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets across Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and now Cavite.

About 500 sacks of locally sourced rice were initially allocated for the Cavite rollout, enough to serve 2,500 residents.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) aims to continue expanding this program nationwide with plans to reach over one million targeted beneficiaries by the end of the year and sustain it through June 2028.

Phase 2 will begin later this month, further expanding to more areas in Calabarzon and other provinces surrounding Metro Manila, while the national government is considering shouldering the full cost of the program by 2026 as per Marcos Jr.'s directive.

Marcos expressed confidence in the sustainability of the program citing improvements in rice production, better irrigation, mechanization, and research into high-yielding varieties.