FOR Cebu City’s senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs), rising food prices have long stretched household budgets to the limit. But starting this December, they may finally get some relief through the City’s P20-per-kilo rice program.
Mayor Nestor Archival announced the pilot rollout on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, saying the initiative aims to help the most vulnerable residents first.
“This program is very affordable and important for everyone. But if we let everyone buy, some will be happy and others will not,” Archival said.
The program will allow qualified seniors and PWDs to buy up to five kilos of rice each at only P20 per kilogram. Rice will be distributed through Kadiwa Centers and barangay outlets, with oversight from the Department of Social Welfare and Services and barangay officials.
The rollout follows the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Cebu City Government and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) last Oct. 10 for the implementation of the P20 Rice Project under the Department of Agriculture’s Rice-for-All Program.
Councilor Pastor Jun Alcover Jr., who attended the signing, suggested prioritizing senior citizens and PWDs since most of them live with and support their families. Archival agreed, noting that helping them benefits entire households.
Under the MOA, the City Government and FTI will jointly subsidize the cost to maintain the P20 price. The National Food Authority will supply the rice, while the City will handle procurement, payment, storage, and local distribution.
Archival said the December rollout will serve as a trial phase to evaluate the system and address any logistical challenges before expanding the program to other groups.
Senior citizens and PWDs often live with their families. When we help them, we help everyone around them, the mayor said.
The mayor also revealed that by next year, the city may no longer need counterpart funding once the program becomes self-sustaining. Eventually, the City hopes to directly sell rice at P20 per kilo.
Cebu City is among the first local governments in the Visayas to formalize a partnership with FTI for the project, which supports the National Government’s goal of making rice more affordable to Filipino families. / CAV