QR code required to buy P20 rice by March

Filipinos hoping to buy P20-per-kilo rice will need a quick response (QR) code starting March, as the Department of Agriculture (DA) begins rolling out a new digital registry to simplify and accelerate the program’s expansion. 

The P20 Benteng Bigas Masterlist (PBBM) Registry System—developed by the DA-Information and Communications Technology Service—seeks to streamline sign-ups, curb repeat claims, and widen the program’s coverage to low-income workers and vulnerable households.

“After testing conducted last month, we are now ready to deploy the P20 Registry System, which will ultimately serve approximately 15 million households—equivalent to about 60 million Filipinos—benefiting from the subsidized rice initiative,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said at a media briefing on Monday.

“With this online system, we can now step up the expansion of the P20 rice program to include other sectors such as teachers, security guards, and other transport sector workers like bus drivers and delivery riders,” he added.

Tiu Laurel said registration—open now until February 2026—will be available onsite through Kadiwa stores and later through local government units, provincial capitols, and Department of Educatiin schools. Verification features will continue to evolve, and the DA may add biometrics if needed.

“Come March 1 next year, you can no longer buy without a QR code,” he said.

DA-ICTS Chief Honorio Flameño said QR codes will be issued upon successful registration, with online registration links to follow by December. Beneficiaries may already access the Benefinder module at p20.da.gov.ph.

Beyond authentication, the system also helps prevent households from claiming rice more frequently than allowed. 

“There are really a lot of people who keep coming back, almost weekly… government funds are not unlimited, and rice supply is not unlimited either,” Tiu Laurel said.

He added that the DA can adjust rules for disaster-hit provinces—such as Catanduanes and Batanes—where all households were temporarily allowed to buy P20 rice due to crop losses and high food costs.

The DA expects to operate with nearly P23 billion next year to support the rice program, including the National Food Administration’s P9 billion allocation, P10 billion for the Rice for All program, and remaining contingency funds from the President.