Malacañang on Thursday defended its decision to launch the pilot run of the P20 rice program in the Visayas, denying any political motivation behind the move.
At a Palace press briefing, Press Officer Claire Castro said the Visayas region was selected because of two key reasons: a higher number of residents in need of low-cost rice and a sufficient supply of stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA) in the area.
She also noted that local governments in the Visayas were the first to express their willingness to coordinate with the national government to implement the program.
The P20 per kilo rice program is part of the Marcos administration’s effort to make basic commodities more affordable. However, to prevent hoarding and ensure fair distribution, the government is enforcing a strict purchase limit of 10 kilos per household per week, or up to 40 kilos per month.
The Department of Agriculture is still finalizing the guidelines to ensure the program’s smooth implementation and to address concerns from other regions.
This development follows growing public interest in the long-promised initiative, which aims to ease the burden of food costs among Filipino families.
