2 weeks ago
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BACOLOD CITY — The provincial government of Negros Occidental will tap the different associations of farmers and irrigators in the province in its bid to keep the P20-per-kilo rice program of the national government, said Rayfrando Diaz II, provincial administrator.
Diaz said the provincial government has allocated an initial P10 million as its counterpart subsidy for the program.
"We are already preparing the groundwork to commence the sale of rice at P20 a kilo," he said.
Diaz also said on Friday that the amount would be replenished as needed.
In the past, he said the provincial government, through the irrigators' association, sold rice to indigents at P25 a kilo.
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Jose Albert Barrogo, regional director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Negros Island Region, said senior citizens, persons with disabilities, indigents and those listed as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries could avail of the P20 per kilo rice.
"Under the program, each family can buy 10 kilos of the P20 rice per week," he said.
The Food Terminal Inc. will buy rice from the National Food Authority at P33 per kilo. The P13 difference will then be subsidized by the DA and the local government unit, Barrogo said.
Diaz added that when the guidelines are released, the farmers and irrigators will be tapped for the program as they already know how to run it.
In April, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. launched the program in Cebu after a closed-door meeting with the Visayas governors to discuss the initial rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice program in the Visayas.
The program was implemented in Cebu on May 1 but was suspended the next day by the DA following a warning from the Commission on Elections that selling rice at P20 per kilo still fell under "ayuda," or assistance, which is prohibited during the election period.
The DA announced that the program was to resume on May 13 when the prohibition had ended.
The national government intends to also launch the program in other parts of the country.
