DA rolls out P20 rice program in Capiz

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday said its flagship P20-per-kilo rice program has reached Capiz province in Western Visayas.

According to the DA, the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” (P20-per-kilo rice, now available) program was rolled out during the province’s 125th founding anniversary, or the Capiztahan Festival.

READ: DA sets Metro Manila-wide rollout of P20/kilo rice program

Around 1,000 beneficiaries from priority sectors received subsidized rice during the initial rollout.

“At a time when global supply disruptions and price volatility continue to challenge food systems, we must decisively pursue President [Ferdinand] Marcos Jr.’s flagship food security programs,” DA chief Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

“The P20 rice project is not merely a subsidy—it is a strategic intervention to stabilize prices, protect vulnerable households, and guarantee a reliable market for our farmers. We cannot afford to slow down,” he added.

Tiu Laurel then noted that the rollout in Capiz underscored the provincial local government unit-led expansion model, encouraging local governments to take ownership of scaling distribution across municipalities.

This is as the DA committed to aggressively rolling out the P20 rice program across the country, targeting to reach 60 million Filipinos by the end of the year.

The latest data shows that the program has already reached 661 sites nationwide and benefited more than six million Filipinos. /mcm