HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Wednesday lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for translating campaign promises into concrete action, following the announcement of the Department of Agriculture’s pilot rollout of P20-per-kilo rice across the Visayas.
“This is a significant step toward making affordable rice a reality for every Filipino household,” Romualdez said in a statement, calling the initiative a clear indication that the administration is on the right track.
The move comes after President Marcos met with 12 governors from Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas in Cebu, where Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. confirmed that rice priced at P20 per kilo would be sold starting next week.
The program, initially limited to 10 kilos per household per week, will also allow the DA to fine-tune logistics and retail systems for broader implementation.
Romualdez underscored that local governments in the Visayas would share the cost of subsidies with the national government—an arrangement he described as a tangible example of “bayanihan economics.”
He also noted the recent drop in retail rice prices—from over P60 last year to as low as P35 in many markets—as evidence that the P20 target is now within reach.
Looking ahead, the Speaker said the House remains committed to long-term solutions, including mechanization, improved seed distribution, solar-powered irrigation, and better post-harvest facilities.
Romualdez added that Congress is exploring legislation to ensure the program’s sustainability and hinted at optimism for smoother legislative action with a potential majority win for the administration’s Senate slate in the 2025 midterm polls.
“We still have many laws to pass to sustain and expand the P20 rice program,” he said.