Rice prices cut in Metro Manila with P40 ‘Rice-for-All’ program

The Presidential Communications Office on Dec. 27, citing the Department of Agriculture (DA), reported that retail prices of rice in markets across the National Capital Region have already lowered just days after the launch of ‘Rice-for-All’ kiosks in the region.

As part of the Marcos administration’s Kadiwa ng Pangulo project, the ‘Rice-for-All’ campaign aims to connect local dealers, importers, and wholesalers to consumers to sell well-milled rice at P40 per kilogram, but with a 25-kilogram limit per person.

As a result, the Kadiwa outlets and its retailers offer rice at prices P3 to P5 lower than those sold by traditional market stalls, leading to a rise in sales by the rolling stores during the recent operation.

The new campaign differs from a similar program by the National Food Authority, which sells aging yet good-quality rice at P29 per kg to members of the vulnerable sector.

The DA and its stakeholders believe that the program made a dent on the staple’s price as market retailers are currently reducing their prices to “keep up” with the lower price offered by rolling stores.

According to the report, a total of 147 rice sacks has since been distributed in bustling markets like those in EDSA Balintawak areas where a majority of 110 sacks has reached consumers and the rest distributed to the New Marulas Public Market and the Malabon Central Market.

The agriculture department has since promised to in the initial launch of the more Kadiwa ng Pangulo to establish more trade centers in the entire country to give Filipinos access to affordable rice prices.

“Ang plano po ay palawigin pa at ilagay ang mga Kadiwa ng Pangulo kiosk sa lahat po ng major na palengke nationwide,” said Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra in a news forum weeks ago.

Looking ahead, the DA aims to open about 300 KNP centers in 2025, and 1,500 by the end of the Marcos administration’s term in 2028.

In an earlier statement, Guevarra said that they are also working to strike a balance between providing affordable rice in local markets and ensuring a fair income for farmers.