Visayan governors look to Gwen Garcia’s SMB for ₱20 rice rollout

Visayan governors look to Gwen Garcia’s SMB for ₱20 rice program rollout

By: - Reporter / @JEPOI04
/ 09:09 PM April 24, 2025

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s Sugbo Merkado Barato (SMB) program, which provides ₱20-per-kilo rice, is now being used as a reference by some provinces across the Visayas as they prepare for the implementation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign promise to provide affordable rice.

The Department of Agriculture’s ₱20 rice program is set to begin rolling out in the Visayas next week. Governor Garcia’s SMB program, which has been running successfully in Cebu since October 2023, will serve as the model for neighboring provinces as they prepare to launch similar initiatives.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Speaker backs DA’s plan to sell rice at P20 per kilo

FEATURED STORIES

At a meeting with the governors of Regions 6, 7, and 8 on April 23, 2025, President Marcos discussed the ₱20 rice program, and how it will be implemented in the region.

The Visayan governors acknowledged the success of Cebu’s SMB model, and many expressed that they are fortunate to have a proven template to follow.

Template for other provinces

Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores said, “We’re lucky to have a template from Cebu. We will just adapt it to our own province.”

Siquijor Governor Jake Vincent Villa also noted that while Siquijor is smaller than Cebu, they plan to prioritize frontline workers and aim to cover 80% of their households, following Cebu’s example.

Article continues after this advertisement

The ₱20 rice program will see provinces purchasing rice from the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) at ₱33 per kiloand selling it to locals at ₱20 per kilo, with the ₱13 difference being subsidized equally by the national government and the provinces.

Governor Garcia’s SMB program has already proven to be an effective solution in Cebu for making rice affordable to low-income communities. Now, as President Marcos begins rolling out his ₱20 rice promise, other provinces are preparing to adopt Cebu’s SMB model to deliver the same benefit to their residents.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: rice, Visayas

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2025 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.