MANILA — Malacañang welcomed the decision of the Department of Agriculture to increase the monthly rice allocation for vulnerable sectors benefiting from the Marcos administration’s "P29" program.

According to the DA, the new policy will allow senior citizens, persons with disability, solo parents, and indigents nationwide to purchase up to 30 kilos of rice at P29 per kilo each month, a threefold increase from the previous limit.

“Ito po’y tulong ng ating pamahalaan para—lalong-lalo na po doon sa mga vulnerable sectors katulad po ng mga senior citizen, indigents para po sila naman po ay gumaan ‘no ang kanilang pagbili at makakuha ng supply po ng bigas para sa kanilang pamilya,” she said.

Castro adds that by increasing the amount of rice that the vulnerable sectors can avail or can access to 30 kilos from 10 kilos, more buffer stocks of the NFA will be released, freeing more space available in warehouses therefore allowing NFA to buy more palay from the farmers especially during the harvest season.

Asked whether the program will be extended to other sectors, Castro said, “Hangga’t makakaya po ng ating pamahalaan, hindi po tayo titigil sa pagtulong po dito sa ating mga vulnerable sectors ng pamahalaan.” 

Earlier this month, Philippine Statistics Authority Assistant Secretary Divina Gracia Del Prado said the average price of regular-milled rice nationwide even fell from P48.25 in January to P42.23 in February.

Inflation settles at 2.1 percent in February