THE Malacañang denied on Monday, April 28, 2025, that the subsidized P20-per-kilo rice program was launched to advance the administration’s political interest.
In a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro made the remark amid questions on the timing of the launching of the program, which was made a few weeks before the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).
“Kailan pa ba natin ibibigay ang sakati sa kabayo, kung kailan namatay na ang kabayo? Sa pulitika po, wala pong timing sa pagbibigay ng ayuda, sa pagbibigay sa mga taong kailangan ng tulong lalong lalo na ‘yung mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan. Hindi kinukwestyon ang timing dito. Sa pinakamaagang kakayanin ng gobyerno na maibigay ang tulong, ibibigay po yan, walang puli-pulitika dito,” Castro said.
“Malamang sinasabi lang ito para muling bigyan ng negatibong epekto ang isinasagawa ng Pangulo para matupad ang P20 na kada kilo ng bigas,” she added.
During the 2022 campaign period, then-presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. promised to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo.
Castro said it took the administration a few years in order to fulfill the promise as it needed stringent study as well as support from local government units.
The National Government and local government units (LGUs) will share the cost of subsidizing the difference in rice prices.
For example, if rice is priced at P33 per kilo, the P13 difference will be jointly subsidized by the National Government and LGUs. The rice stocks will come from the National Food Authority.
Castro said the program, which has been rolled out in Visayas, is sustainable until the end of 2025 while it will be included in the budget allocation in the following years. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)