Metro Manila Council (MMC) President and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora proposed a hybrid setup of the President's Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) program to ensure its accessibility to other individuals and local government units (LGUs) that doesn't have the space to setup physical stores in their respective areas.
Zamora made the suggestion during a recent MMC meeting attended by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes, Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, and other officials.
"We were joined by Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel to discuss the PBBM Administration's initiative of providing affordable rice through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo pop-up stores. This program aims to support Filipino families by ensuring access to low-cost, high-quality rice while empowering local farmers," Zamora said.
"As Metro Manila Council President, I suggested to Secretary Laurel the idea of a hybrid setup, such as mobile stores, to cater to areas that lack sufficient space for a physical store. This approach would help ensure that all communities can benefit from this program, regardless of space limitations," he added.
In response, Tiu Laurel said the DA plans to launch mobile KNPs, saying the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) has already procured 24 trucks, with plans to rent additional units soon.
As of January this year, there are more than 20 KNP centers and kiosks in Metro Manila, while there are 150 public and private markets in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The secretary explained that the KNP has also lowered the price of under the Rice for All (RFA) program from P40/kg to P38/kg. This price change took effect on Friday, Jan. 17.
Other affordable options available in KNP sites include RFA 5 which is 5 percent broken selling for P45/kg; RFA 100, also known as Sulit rice, is 100 percent broken at P36/kg; and P29, or the aging but good quality rice stock of the National Food Authority (NFA) sold to vulnerable sectors at P29/kg.
Tiu Laurel also shared some of the agency's proposals and suggestions to the MMC which include the target expansion of KNP kiosks and stores in all public and private markets in Metro Manila; review of market rental rates which affect retailers' sale of rice; labeling requirements on retail rice; setting the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at P58/kg for 5 percent broken imported rice on Jan. 20, with a two-week review for lowering of MSRP; and the sale of NFA rice in all local government units at P36/kg in February.