Castro: Politics won’t derail P20-rice rollout

Malacañang said it does not anticipate any problems in the rollout of the government’s P20-per-kilo rice program in the Visayas, even after the defeat of a key political ally in the region.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro emphasized that the program is meant to serve the public regardless of political outcomes.

“This is a public service. Whoever holds office, the program is for the people. It should not be dependent on whether candidates win or lose,” Castro said.

Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, a staunch ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., lost her reelection bid to Pam Baricuatro who garnered 1,107,924 votes, according to the Provincial Board of Canvassers. Garcia, the province’s first female governor, was seeking her third and final term and received over 750,000 votes.

Three weeks before the 12 May elections, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that the P20 rice program would begin on 1 May — a fulfillment of President Marcos’ campaign promise, nearly three years into his term.

The Visayas was chosen as the pilot area due to the concentration of rice storage facilities in the region. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. confirmed that local leaders in Cebu had expressed support for the initiative.

To fund the program, the government allocated P4.5 billion from its contingency fund. The administration aims to sustain the P20-per-kilo rice price until 2028.

Castro, meanwhile, urged the newly elected leaders in Cebu to support the program regardless of political affiliation.

“Everyone who can help their constituents should keep an open mind and an open heart when it comes to advancing this program,” she said.