P40 per kilo rice now available in more public markets

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has expanded its Rice-for-All program to cover more public markets in an effort to make cheaper rice available to more Filipinos.

In a statement on Friday, the DA said the P40-a-kilo rice sold under the program was now available in Maypajo Public Market (Caloocan City), Murphy Market and Cloverleaf Balintawak (Quezon City), La Huerta Market (Parañaque City) and Trabajo Market (Sampaloc, Manila).

Early this week, the agency rolled out the Rice-for-All program in the following Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT) and Light Rail Manila Transit Line 1 (LRT) stations: LRT Recto, MRT Ayala, MRT North Avenue and MRT Cubao stations.

READ: DA to sell cheaper rice at train stations

The DA unveiled the Rice-for-All program in August to sell well-milled rice to the general public at a cheaper price, starting with select Kadiwa stores in Metro Manila.

It was subsequently expanded to include public markets such as Kamuning Market, Malabon Central Market, New Las Piñas City Public Market and Pasay City Public Market.

This was launched to cushion the effect of stubbornly expensive rice. Retail prices have not gone down significantly even after President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 62 last June, reducing rice import tariffs to 15 percent until 2028, and the decline in global rice prices.

This was blamed mainly on unscrupulous traders who are working to keep rice prices artificially high.

“We will continue to expand these Kadiwa kiosks to more cities and municipalities in the coming weeks to ensure that rice prices reflect true market conditions, especially following [the President’s] decision to reduce tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent in July,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

“The DA will be unrelenting in pushing this program to keep rice traders and retailers honest, and ensure consumers aren’t taken advantage of by unscrupulous businessmen,” he added.

The Rice-for-All program, a joint initiative with the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service and Food Terminal Inc., is different from the P29 rice program targeting vulnerable sectors including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents and indigents.

Early this week, Tiu Laurel urged legislators to restore the National Food Authority’s (NFA) powers to intervene in the local rice market to stabilize retail prices.

“If the NFA’s power to intervene is restored, the Department of Agriculture would be more effective in curbing the influence of abusive rice traders,” he said. INQ