The Department of Agriculture assured the public that rice stocks in National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses remain sufficient, helped by a record procurement last year, even as demand for the government-subsidized P20 rice program surges.
Beneficiaries of Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!, the government’s flagship food program, are urged to register online to ensure orderly access, and prevent overcrowding at outlets as well as potential abuse of the food program.
“We implemented online registration to ensure that the most vulnerable sectors benefit from the P20-per-kilo rice, especially during these challenging times,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement the other day. “For those who can pay slightly more, Food Terminal Inc. provides affordable rice through the Rice-for-All initiative, which has helped stabilize supply.”
The online system also targets misuse.
“We’ve caught buyers presenting fake IDs, suggesting some are exploiting the program at the expense of real beneficiaries,” said assistant secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, head of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo Program, which oversees the P20 rice initiative. “We appeal for cooperation from our fellow Filipinos, abusing the system would only hurt the most vulnerable among us during these trying times.”
To supplement domestic supply ahead of this year’s harvest season, the DA has allowed limited rice imports starting January, a move that is proving helpful amid rising fuel costs due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The conflict between US-Israel alliance and Iran has increased freight, insurance, and input prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important trade corridor for oil and fertilizer raw materials. Rice importation resumed in January and tapered in March after a four-month ban last year that pushed farmgate palay prices higher.
“If necessary, we are ready to tap other rice-exporting countries to secure additional supply,” Tiu Laurel said, stressing the government’s readiness to maintain stability in supply and prices.
President Marcos has approved a P50-a-kilo price cap on imported rice, and is now expected to soon issue the executive order that will implement the price ceiling.
Food inflation for the country’s bottom 30 percent of households hit 3.7 percent in March from 1.9 percent in February, driven largely by cereals, fish, and vegetables. Analysts say the DA’s mix of strong domestic procurement, targeted imports, and controlled online distribution helps ensure subsidies reach intended beneficiaries while preventing hoarding. ||
