PHP 20 rice program launched for Iloilo farmers

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The program allows qualified farmers in both the province and city to purchase rice at PHP 20 per kilo.

Beneficiaries include those listed in the DA’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) who cultivate not more than two hectares.

Each farmer is entitled to 10 kilos of rice per month, or 50 kilos for a five-month allocation.

Distribution runs from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with beneficiaries required to present their RSBSA ID and bring eco-bags.

Farmers from Dumangas, Oton, New Lucena, and San Miguel were among the first to avail of the program during the launch.

The event was attended by NFA and DA officials, Iloilo City Agriculture Office representatives, and farmer leaders.

NFA Iloilo branch manager Glenda G. Paz said the rice distributed under the program is sourced from local producers in Iloilo and Guimaras.

“As we enter the harvest season across the province and nearby areas, we continue to encourage our farmers to sell their produce to the NFA,” Paz said. “The national government offers competitive prices, with clean and dry palay purchased at PHP 23 to PHP 30 per kilo, and wet palay at PHP 17 to PHP 23 per kilo, depending on quality and prevailing weekly rates.”

Paz acknowledged, however, that the Iloilo branch has limited capacity to procure wet palay due to insufficient drying facilities.

These gaps are expected to be addressed by new post-harvest infrastructure being built under the Masagana Agri-Food Infrastructure Modernization Program in Dumangas, Jaro, and Dueñas, which are targeted for completion by early 2026.

Meanwhile, NFA Western Visayas acting regional manager Herrielle V. Jumagbas said that while the program was initially intended for vulnerable households, farmers were included as beneficiaries due to their continued economic struggles.

DA Western Visayas OIC-regional technical director Maria Teresa T. Solis noted that sustaining the program will depend on continued coordination among partner agencies and approval from the NFA central office and FTI for wider implementation.

The Regional Farmers Action Council, represented by chairperson Ricardo Doce, also expressed support for House Bill No. 1, which seeks to restore the tariff on imported rice from 15% to 35% to stabilize farmgate prices and protect local producers.