Marcos: Watch me sustain P20/kilo rice project until May 2028
Rice is sold at P20 per kilo on the Cebu Capitol grounds as the Department of Agriculture launches the affordable rice program in the province on May 1, 2025. — Photo from DA Central Visayas/Facebook
Kuala Lumpur – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday dismissed criticism that his project of selling rice at P20 a kilo is unsustainable as he vowed to sustain it until the end of his term.
In a press conference here after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, the President conceded that his detractors are hitting the sustainability of the lower-priced rice being sold by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
He said his critics described the project as “cosmetic” and “unsustainable.”
A confident Marcos went on: “Watch me sustain it. And then, we’ll talk in May of 2028, natuloy ba o hindi.”
He explained that the government found a way now to ensure that affordable rice is within arm’s reach of many Filipinos.
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In his BBM Podcast last week, the President said the government went after rice smuggling syndicates first and rice hoarders and implemented bureaucratic and legislative reforms to boost rice production.
“We could not do it before. The system could not handle it. The price of rice was different then,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino on Tuesday, adding that the Philippines is entering into deals with different countries to ensure that rice supply and prices are stable.
He added: “No matter what happens down the road, we did it now. We did not have that then. Now we do. We can accomplish P20 (per kilo of rice price).”
The DA has begun selling the lower-priced rice anew after the May 12 elections. The pilot run of the program will run until December in select areas in the country through Kadiwa centers and local government units. /das
