What began as a campaign promise is now shaping into a full-blown national initiative, as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and local government officials launched three new Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets in Bacolod City on Thursday.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez led the opening of the stores in the heart of the “City of Smiles,” reinforcing the growing public and institutional support behind President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” campaign.
The program, which aims to deliver affordable, high-quality rice to vulnerable Filipinos, has galvanized cooperation across national agencies, local governments, and private groups — a rare show of unity driven by a shared goal of food security.
“President Marcos’ launch of the P20 rice program has not only sparked new hope among indigent and vulnerable Filipinos — it has also awakened the spirit of Bayanihan across the country,” Tiu Laurel said.
“From farmers’ cooperatives in Mindoro offering their warehouses... to legislators pledging to institutionalize it — this is collective action at its best.”
Bacolod’s local government will shoulder part of the subsidy for the P20 rice, which targets sectors such as indigent families, solo parents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and minimum wage earners.
To meet local demand, Bacolod has procured 5,880 sacks of rice through the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), the DA’s marketing arm. This supply is projected to meet a daily demand of 400 sacks over the next two weeks.
“One of the things we are closely monitoring is, of course, inflation... That’s the reason why we really pushed for the ‘Benteng Bigas Meron Na!’ program,” Mayor Benitez said.
FTI President Joseph Lo said the agency has enough stock to support Bacolod’s needs through the pilot phase, which runs until December.
The launch in Bacolod also highlights the rapid nationwide expansion of the program. Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the number of Kadiwa outlets offering P20 rice has now climbed to 87 — well beyond the initial target of 55 by the end of June.
“And that number will grow exponentially... Soon, the areas where P20 rice will be available will surpass 1,000,” she said.
In a related boost to the province’s rice sector, the Philippine Rice Research Institute awarded Negros Occidental with a seed allocation equivalent to 96,550 bags, enough to cover 44,514 hectares for the upcoming wet season. The P84.96-million initiative is funded through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.