KUALA LUMPUR – Amid skepticism over the feasibility of selling rice at 20 pesos per kilogram, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared that his administration had found a way to sustain the initiative.
In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, Marcos said that efforts to stabilize prices—including agreements with rice-producing countries—have enabled the government to sell subsidized rice at 20 pesos per kilo.
“Some people say, ‘It’s just for show, just political optics.’ Well, they have the right to say that… They think it’s unsustainable. And yes—that’s what people are saying,” the President stated after the ASEAN Summit held here.
“Let’s see how I sustain it. By May 2028, we’ll talk again and see if it succeeded. We’ve already figured out how to do it,” he added.
Access to affordable rice was one of Marcos’ key campaign promises during the 2022 presidential election, which he won by a landslide with 31.6 million votes.
In April, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that the government would sell subsidized rice at 20 pesos per kilo to help poor households access essential food more easily while also easing the storage burden of the National Food Authority (NFA).
The government is expected to allocate between 3.5 and 4.5 billion pesos to subsidize this program.
The subsidy cost will be shared between the national and local governments. The Marcos administration hopes to sustain the initiative through next year’s national budget.
While some groups have welcomed the program, many critics have called it political grandstanding and questioned its long-term sustainability.
Malacañang has rejected claims that the 20-peso rice program was launched to boost the administration’s image, emphasizing that President Marcos has long been committed to ensuring affordable rice for low-income families.
“We are signing agreements with various countries to keep rice prices stable and prevent fluctuations. No matter what happens, we’ve made it possible. Rice priced at 20 pesos per kilo is now available for sale,” he said.
“At the same time, we’re ensuring fair buying prices so that farmers continue to earn stable incomes,” he added.
Earlier this month, Marcos revealed that it took the government some time to implement the 20-peso rice program due to the involvement of certain officials in rice smuggling.
The NFA’s Mission
In Bulacan province, the NFA presented its proposals to amend the Rice Tariffication Law. NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said yesterday that the agency’s mission to supply rice to the domestic market must be reinstated.
Lacson explained that restoring the NFA’s role in rice distribution would prevent stockpiles from remaining in warehouses for too long and would create space to purchase newly harvested palay (unmilled rice).
He also emphasized that managing rice retailers and registering rice storage facilities should again fall under the NFA’s jurisdiction so that the agency can better monitor domestic supply and demand.
Lacson added that the NFA should be authorized to buy rice directly from farmers’ cooperatives.