The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Saturday assured that there is enough rice stock of the National Food Authority (NFA) P20 per kilogram subsidized rice program until the end of the year.
Arnel de Mesa, DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson in a radio interview, gave the assurance, noting that the current NFA inventory stands at 400,000 metric tons (MT), which is equivalent to 250 million kilograms of rice.
“At 10 kilos per individual per month, that’s about 1.2 millions in total per month. Our current NFA supply stands at 400,000 metric tons. So the initial allocation is 250,000 metric tons, and more can be added. So the 1.2 million kilos for our program, assuming until December, can be easily supplied,” De Mesa said.
The P20 per kilogram rice program is currently being rolled out to vulnerable sectors and has been recently expanded to minimum wage earners. Households of qualified beneficiaries may purchase up to 30 kilograms of rice per month.
Aside from the P20 per kilogram rice program, the DA has also rolled out rice at P29 to P33 per kilogram in Kadiwa stores.
De Mesa also said, the country has enough rice supply for its food requirements, even with the expected rains in the coming months.
“Our last inventory last December showed that we have enough until the harvest season; then we have harvests coming in, so we have sufficient supply until the next harvest in time for the lean months, normally mid-July or mid-August,” De Mesa said.
His statement came a day after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration declared the start of the habagat or southwest monsoon season in the country.
According to De Mesa, the current rice import level for May 2025 stands at about 1.7 million to 1.9 million metric tons.
“The rice imports plus the ongoing harvests in some areas allow us to have a sufficient supply. Plus with our ending inventory last December, we have sufficient rice,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DA revealed on Saturday that a significant number of minimum wage earners benefiting from the P20-per-kilogram rice subsidy program are from the Bicol Region.
In a radio interview, de Mesa said the list of 120,000 beneficiaries was provided by the Department of Labor and Employment, with both agencies agreeing to prioritize minimum wage earners for inclusion in the program.
The Kadiwa ng Pangulo rice subsidy initiative currently targets vulnerable sectors, including solo parents, persons with disabilities, indigents, and senior citizens, through coordination with the National Food Authority.