In a major step toward fulfilling one of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s most prominent campaign promises, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has officially launched a program to sell rice at P20 per kilo starting in the Visayas region.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the pilot run on Wednesday following a closed-door meeting with President Marcos and 12 Visayas governors at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. He described the initiative as the beginning of a broader national rollout.

“We’re starting here because the need is greater in these areas,” Laurel said. “But the ultimate goal is to expand the program nationwide once we’ve resolved the logistical and operational challenges.”

Limit 10/kg per week

Under the program’s initial rollout, families will be able to purchase up to 10 kilos of rice per week — or 40/kg per month — at the subsidized rate. The DA initially considered a 5/kg and 10/kg weekly distribution model, ultimately choosing the latter for implementation.

“This marks the first time we’re relaunching this kind of effort under the Marcos administration,” Laurel said. “We have surplus stocks here in the Visayas, especially in Iloilo, so it makes sense to begin the distribution here.”

He also cited the need to free up space in government warehouses that are overwhelmed with rice and palay.

“Our warehouses are overflowing,” he said. “We need to release these stocks to make room and serve the public.”

Program may last to 2028

Originally intended as a short-term subsidy running through December 2025, the President has instructed the DA to extend the program to the end of his term.

“The President wants this to continue until 2028,” Laurel said. “We were initially looking at a run until December, possibly extended to February. But now we’ve been directed to design a long-term, sustainable version.”

The program’s feasibility has been questioned by critics, but Laurel said the changing global market has opened a window of opportunity.

“Global rice prices were at a 15-year high last year, which made subsidies like this impossible,” he explained. “But now that prices have dropped, the government can realistically shoulder the cost.”

The pilot program in the Visayas will serve as a testing ground for logistics, supply chain management, and overall sustainability before expanding to other regions in the country.