The Marcos administration is set to expand its P20-per-kilo rice program next year, now including below middle-income households in its list of beneficiaries.
In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Larry Lacson shared details of the 2026 plan for the government-subsidized rice program.
Currently, the program serves the most vulnerable sectors: 4Ps beneficiaries, single parents, senior citizens, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, minimum wage earners, public transport workers, farmers, and fisherfolk.
“Ang madaragdag dito, ‘yung mga below the middle income… sila ay mabibigyan na rin,” Lacson said.
(Those below middle-income will also be able to avail of the program.)
The expansion is part of the government’s broader goal to reach 15 million households with P20 rice throughout 2026. To identify eligible below-middle-income earners, an interagency technical working group is studying data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Social Security System, and Department of Education.
Lacson assured that the NFA has enough rice stock to sustain the program. Currently, warehouses hold 2.2 million bags, sourced directly from local farmers. The government subsidizes the program through Food Terminal Inc. (FTI).
Here’s how it works: the NFA procures rice at P33 per kilo, which is then sold to beneficiaries at P20 per kilo. The P13 per kilo subsidy is split evenly between the national government and local government units at P6.50 each.
The current supply of 2.2 million bags is enough to cover January to February, with more rice expected after the harvest season.
“By end of February, anihan na naman. Marami na naman tayong mabibiling palay,” Lacson said.
(By the end of February, it will be harvest season again. We will be able to procure more rice.)
For millions of Filipino households, this means more affordable rice — helping families stretch their budgets while supporting local farmers.
