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CEBU CITY — Stacks of rice have begun to pile up in Cebu as the government resumes its P20-per-kilo rice program following its temporary suspension due to the recently concluded 2025 midterm elections.
The National Food Authority in Central Visayas (NFA-7) confirmed the arrival of 35,000 sacks each containing 50 kilograms of well-milled rice on May 14 as part of the initial supply for Cebu province.
"This is just an initial stock, as we have yet to receive the orders from the different local government units in the province," said Provincial Agriculture Office head Roldan Saragena.
The resumption of the program comes after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) lifted the ban on public spending. The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier paused the program to comply with election guidelines.
NFA-7 information officer Olma Nedia said 30 municipalities across Cebu have already withdrawn a total of 5,000 bags, with more scheduled pickups expected based on allocations from the Provincial Capitol.
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. launched the P20 rice program to ensure food security and provide affordable rice to poor Filipino families.
The DA and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) partnered with local government units (LGUs) to implement the initiative through Kadiwa outlets and local markets.
In areas without Kadiwa stores, residents can access the rice through Sugbo Merkadong Barato outlets. Under the guidelines, indigent beneficiaries may purchase up to 10 kilograms of rice weekly, or a maximum of 40 kilograms monthly.
Cebu province has prepaid for around 11,000 bags of rice, and its allocation per LGU follows a capitol-provided list to ensure fair distribution.
The NFA said Cebu expects additional shipments from surplus regions, including Mindoro and Iloilo, to meet the target of 50,000 sacks and sustain the pro-gram's run until December.
Other provinces joining the effort include Bohol, Siquijor and Southern Leyte.
Siquijor has ordered 40,000 bags while Southern Leyte and Bohol have ordered 30,000 and 3,000 bags, respectively.
Marcos allocated P4.5 billion from his contingency fund to support the rice program, with the FTI and participating LGUs splitting the P13-per-kilo subsidy to bring the retail price down to P20.
Capitol grounds first sold the rice during the Labor Day launch on May 1, where long lines lasted until midnight as the number of beneficiaries surged.
Despite the program's expansion, vendors at Cebu's Carbon Market said they remain unaffected, as they cater to a different segment of consumers.
Participating Cebu LGUs so far include Minglanilla, Naga, Carcar, Talisay, San Fernando, Argao, Oslob, Samboan, Santander, Tuburan, Balamban, Asturias, Barili, Aloguinsan, Toledo, Bantayan, Bogo, Medellin, Tabogon, Poro, Sogod, Borbon, Compostela, Catmon, Pinamungajan, Ginatilan, Pilar, Tudela and Ta-buelan.
Nedia assured the public that the rice supply is sufficient.
"Naa tay igo na supply sa P20 program kay in fact naa ta'y i-expect nga arrival or mga shipments from other regions para mo-augment atong stocks (We have enough supply for the P20 program because, in fact, we are expecting arrivals or shipments from other regions to augment our stocks)," she said.
