Iloilo City Awaits DA Guidelines on P20 Rice Sale

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City government is open to implementing the national government’s PHP20 per kilo rice program but is waiting for official guidelines before reallocating funds.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said the city is willing to support the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) subsidized rice initiative but admitted there are currently no allocated funds to cover the program.

“We never had funds for that because this is a very new program,” Treñas said Monday.

“Then we will have to reallocate some funds,” he added.

Treñas recently met with DA-6 Director Dennis Arpia in Manila to discuss the potential rollout of the program in the city.

“I was told that they already have the guidelines and we will look into it because it seems that it is doable,” Treñas said.

“We are ready to support, but we will wait for the guidelines,” he added.

“If we have the guidelines, then we will see how we will be able to reallocate the funds.”

The PHP20 per kilo rice initiative is a national campaign promise aimed at making basic commodities more affordable amid inflation and supply issues.

It targets vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities and indigent families.

The program requires subsidies from both the national and local governments to bridge the gap between market prices and the target retail cost.

While awaiting approval, the city continues to offer rice at PHP29 per kilo through its Kadiwa Merkado Lokal.

The Kadiwa market is held every third week of the month, on Thursdays and Fridays.