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Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
June 19, 2025 | 12:00am
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. checks rice prices at the Paco Public Market in Manila yesterday.
Edd Gumban
MANILA, Philippines — Citing the country’s increasing rice production, President Marcos remained optimistic of sustaining his administration’s P20-per-kilo rice program and vowed continued support to Filipino farmers.
The Philippines posted high rice yield since 2023, the President said, attributing this to his government’s strong support to local farmers, including a better irrigation system.
“We concentrated immediately on the production side,” Marcos said during the second episode of his podcast.
The high rice output could result in lower production cost and eventual drop in prices of the staple in the market, the President noted.
“That’s why I’m so confident to say it (P20/kilo rice) will be sustainable,” he added.
“As long as we continue to provide them (farmers) the machinery, improve our irrigation, do research at the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) at UPLB (University of the Philippines-Los Baños) on what are the good varieties, new planting techniques, we can improve rice production,” Marcos said.
Asked if the government can fulfill his promise of P20-per-kilo rice for all before his term ends, Marcos said: “We can do it. We did it before already. We exported rice. So why not do the same again? It’s really, you help the farmers.”
The President agreed to put up more Kadiwa outlets across the country so more people can avail themselves of the cheap rice.
“So now, we are providing the volumes that are sufficient for 51 percent of our population. That’s for now. And hopefully we will bring it up, up to the point that rice for all, it will all be P20,” the President said.
Farmers hurting
In San Miguel, Bulacan, farmers lamented the decrease in farmgate prices of palay, which currently range between P8 to P10 per kilo depending on quality.
Farmer leader Rolly dela Cruz told The STAR that farmers are currently harvesting their second dry cropping season.
Although the NFA is buying clean and dry palay at P24 per kilo, there seems to be a problem in unloading its palay inventory to be processed into rice, leaving limited spaces for palay procurement, a farmer leader who does not want to be identified disclosed.
Sugar production up
The country may achieve self-sufficiency in raw sugar once again in a few years as the domestic sugarcane industry is showing signs of recovery and expansion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said raw sugar output as of June 8 has reached nearly 2.02 million MT, marking the first time in four years that local production breached the two million MT mark.
The raw sugar output in the current crop year 2024-2025 is the highest in four years, overcoming the earlier 25-year low production estimate by the government of 1.78 million MT. — Ramon Efren Lazaro, Jasper Arcalas
