The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday said rice retailers in the markets have started to lower the price of the staple following the “successful implementation” of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo’s Rice-for-All program across Metro Manila.

The Rice-for-All program is an initiative of the DA, importers, wholesalers, and local dealers to ensure the smooth distribution of affordable rice at P40 per kilo.

Under the program, each sale is limited to 25 kilos. The DA and the other stakeholders said the program has reduced the price of the staple.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the rice sold by Kadiwa and its retailers is cheaper by P3 to P5 compared with market retailers.

The DA reported that market retailers are reducing their prices to match the lower prices offered by the rolling stores.

So far, the EDSA Balintawak Market in Quezon City has sold 110 sacks of rice; the New Marulas Public Market in Valenzuela City has sold five sacks; while the Malabon Central Market in Malabon City, 32 sacks, the government reported.

The Rice-for-All program resumed Friday, its seventh day, targeting more public markets in time for the New Year celebration.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police expressed its continued support for the Kadiwa program.

“The PNP remains steadfast in its role as a partner of the government in initiatives like the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program. By maintaining peace and order during the distribution process, we help ensure that this vital service reaches Filipino families fairly and efficiently,” PNP chief general Rommel Francisco Marbil said in a statement on Friday.

Marbil noted that the DA’s initiative “has not only provided affordable rice to consumers but also influenced local market dynamics” to make the staple affordable to the public.