THE Bacolod City Government has already reached the 61 barangays for the selling of rice at P20 per kilo.
Brenda Burdeos, City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office (CCLDO) head, said that June 26 will be the last day of selling of P20-per-kilo rice in the barangays, which is in Barangay 16.
“We will deliver at least 20 sacks of rice to Barangay 16 so that their constituents can avail [themselves of] the P20 per kilo,” she said.
On June 5, the City Government launched the selling of rice at P20 per kilo at Burgos Public Market, Central Public Market and Libertad Public Market. It was then offered to all the barangays.
“Since June 5, we did not receive any complaints about the selling and quality of our rice. We are happy that we served the 61 barangays in the city,” Burdeos said.
She said they will wait for the second tranche of the purchase of rice that will be sold at P20, adding that it is a big help to the people of Bacolod.
Burdeos added that they are hopeful that the City can purchase more sacks of rice, which will be distributed to various barangays so that those who have not bought yet can also buy P20 per kilo of rice.
The City earlier purchased 5,880 bags of rice with a total cost of P7.9 million.
Under the program, each family will be allowed 10 kilos per week, with priority given to indigent families since it is still experimental.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier announced the pilot launch of P20 per kilo of rice in the Visayas as one of the campaign promises of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the 2022 presidential race.
The Food Terminal Inc., as the implementing arm of the DA for the sale of rice to the local government units (LGUs), will procure rice from the National Food Authority at a price of P33 per kilo and sell the same to the LGUs at a subsidized rate of P26.50 per kilo.
The excess of P20 will be subsidized by the LGU and the National Government, which is P6.50 each.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez earlier said the subsidy of the National Government to the city will last until December 2025, and by 2026, the National Government will take over the program.
He said it was the commitment of the National Government to continue selling rice at P20 per kilo until 2028. (MAP)