The government is ramping up efforts to provide affordable rice in retail markets across the country to ensure wider access for consumers.

In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is collaborating with supermarkets, grocery stores, and convenience stores, including outlets such as SM, Robinsons, 7-Eleven, Puregold, and MerryMart.

“This is a solution that we believe will stabilize rice prices faster and more efficiently,” Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. He added that the government needs to strike a balance in properly implementing the plan and "securing everyone’s cooperation."

The program, set to launch in Metro Manila, includes the P29 Rice initiative, where the National Food Authority sells consumable, aging buffer rice stocks for P29 per kilo. It also features the Rice-for-All (RFA) Program, which offers various grades of rice, including RFA5 (5 percent broken), RFA25 (25 percent broken), and RFA100 (100 percent broken or Sulit Rice).

The DA said Food Terminal Inc., a government-owned corporation, will manage the supply and packaging of rice distributed through participating retail chains.

The pilot initiative will be monitored over several months before potentially expanding to other areas in the country, Laurel said.