MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Saturday said that it would resume selling its so-called P20 rice in 32 Luzon centers after the May 2025 midterm elections.

The DA earlier said that P20 per kilogram rice will be made available to indigent families in the Visayas on in the first week of May, but abruptly halted the program after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) suggested it should be held after the elections to avoid politicizing the program.

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“Ang aming launch ay mangyayari sa May 13… pero by next week ang target natin ay 32 kadiwa centers, Luzon-wide na ito,” said DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra.

The P20 rice will first be sold Kadiwa Centers in the following Metro Manila cities on May 13: 

- Caloocan 

- Las Piñas 

- Mandaluyong 

- Navotas 

- Pasay 

- Quezon City

Twenty-three other areas in Luzon will follow suit on May 15 as several Kadiwa Stores open only on Thursdays to Saturdays, Guevarra said.

The DA assured the public that the rice stock sold at a fraction of the cost is good for consumption.

“These are the aging stocks ng NFA (National Food Authority). Dumadaan po yan sa quality control. Hindi naman tayo magbebenta ng unfit na bigas,” Guevarra said.

“Makakaasa po kayo na pag may nakita kaming may defect, hindi ito mabebenta,” she said.

The P20 rice are sourced from local farmers, are a bit darker in color only because they are not milled multiple times, unlike the usual commercial rice, the DA official said.

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“Kapag ginigiling niyo ng paulit ulit, pumuputi. Ito kaunting giling lang kaya mayroon siyang specs,” she said.

“Nagiging aging po ito dahil buffer stock ito. Kapag hindi ito nagamit for any calamity or emergency, ito ay dinidispose, binebenta sa mas mababang halaga,” she said.

The program is expected to benefit 2 million indigents in Metro Manila alone, Guevarra said.

Each family is limited to purchasing a maximum of P30 kilos of the cheaper grain per month, she said.

The DA is also eyeing to partner with other retailers to expand the program, she said.

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