Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel has ordered the National Food Authority (NFA) to begin relocating rice stocks to the Visayas in preparation for the implementation of the P20-per-kilo rice program.
The transfer, which will involve hundreds of thousands of 50-kilo rice bags, will take several weeks, primarily moving stock from NFA warehouses in Mindoro to various Visayan locations.
The rice will be sourced from the NFA’s buffer stocks, which have reached a five-year high of 378,157 metric tons, enough to feed the entire population for 10 days.
The Visayas was selected for the pilot of the program due to its high poverty rates, with certain regions facing rates more than double the national average.
Tiu Laurel also noted that the initiative would help clear NFA warehouses, allowing for more purchases of locally grown rice while providing affordable rice to struggling Filipinos.
Source: PhilNews24 | April 28, 2025
