MANILA – House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez said Thursday the rollout of the PHP20-per-kg. rice in the Visayas starting next week marks the first big step toward affordable rice for all Filipino families, praising President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for turning his campaign promise from "aspiration into action."
“Simula pa lang ito. Gagawin nating alaala, kasaysayan na lang ang mahal na bigas. Sa tulong ng whole-of-government effort, masusundan ito hanggang maabot ng programa ang bawat sulok ng bansa (This is just the beginning. Expensive rice will soon be a thing of the past. Through a whole-of-government effort, this will be continued until the program reaches every corner of the country),” he said in a news release.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the pilot after a closed-door meeting with the Chief Executive and 12 Visayas governors in Cebu Wednesday, noting that the President wants the program sustained nationwide until 2028.
Romualdez said rice prices, which topped PHP60 per kg. in some areas last year, have now fallen to PHP35 to PHP39 per kg. for many consumers, adding that the PHP20 target is now within reach.
He said the Visayas launch would limit purchases to 10 kg. per household per week while the DA assesses warehousing capacity, inter-island shipping routes, and Kadiwa retail points to address issues before a wider rollout.
Romualdez commended local government units in the Visayas for agreeing to share the subsidy cost with the national government.
“Ito ay isang kongkretong porma ng tunay na bayanihan economics (This is a concrete form of real cooperative economics),' he said.
To sustain the effort, he said, the House is committed to supporting long-term investments in agricultural modernization, such as mechanization, seed quality improvements, soil programs, and solar-powered irrigation.
“These are the backbone of durable, cheap, and plentiful rice,” he said, adding that the House is exploring financing models that channel tariff savings and private capital into post-harvest infrastructure.
The Speaker said the House is also looking into proposals to ensure a sustainable and nationwide rollout of an affordable rice program.
Progress for these measures, he said, would be faster if the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition secures a Senate majority in the 2025 midterm elections.
“Marami pa tayong batas na dapat ipasa para maipagpatuloy at mapalawig ang PHP20 rice program (We still have many laws to pass to sustain and expand the PHP20 rice program)," he said.
“Kapag nagtagumpay ang Alyansa sa Senado, mas madali nating maisusulong ang mga reporma sa logistics, farm support, at subsidies (If the Alyansa wins in the Senate, it will be easier to push for reforms in logistics, farm support, and subsidies)."
