₱20/kg rice for kids rolls out Nov. 12

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo provincial government will officially launch its PHP 20-per-kilo rice program for families with undernourished children on November 12, starting in the northern municipalities of Ajuy, Lemery, San Dionisio, and Concepcion.

Provincial Agriculturist Office officer-in-charge Felina Grace Basco said the rollout will continue in other towns throughout November.

The distribution will coincide with the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s payout for individuals in crisis situations to help beneficiaries purchase the subsidized rice.

A total of 1,141 sacks have been released from the National Food Authority warehouse for the initial phase.

Last month, the provincial government led by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. signed a memorandum of agreement with 43 local government units in the province for the program’s implementation.

The initiative, anchored on Executive Order No. 040, Series of 2025, implements the “SiPag at TiyaGa for MoRProGRes sa Bagong Pilipinas” or Siguradong Pagkain, Tiyak na Galing-Kalusugan program — a convergence effort promoting food and health security.

Defensor said the program supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na!” campaign for food security and hunger eradication.

Under the agreement, the provincial government allocated PHP 26.5 million for the purchase of 20,000 bags of rice from Food Terminal Inc. to be distributed to 42 municipalities and Passi City.

Each local government unit will manage the sale, storage, and distribution of rice to identified beneficiaries.

Families with undernourished children below five years old under the provincial nutrition program may purchase up to 30 kilograms of rice, while extended beneficiaries may buy up to 10 kilograms.

According to the Provincial Nutrition Action Office, data from Operation Timbang Plus 2024 show that 11,776 children aged 0 to 59 months in Iloilo are suffering from wasting, stunting, or underweight conditions.

After data validation and cross-matching with the DSWD, 7,738 children were confirmed eligible to receive both financial and nutritional assistance under the program.