President Marcos confidently pronounced that he will be able to sustain the implementation of the P20 per kilo of rice until the end of his term.
Marcos on P20-per kilo of rice: Watch me sustain it
Published May 28, 2025 02:13 pm
Marcos said he will find a way to achieve it.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. speaks during a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur following the 46th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, May 27, 2025. (Mark Balmores)
"Watch me sustain it. And then, we'll talk in May of 2028, natuloy ba o hindi (did it happen or not). We found a way. We found a way to do it," Marcos said in an interview with the media in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The President made the bold statement amid criticisms that the initiative—offering cheaper rice to the vulnerable sector through Kadiwa Centers in partnership with local government units (LGUs)—was just a "cosmetic" of his administration, and that it was "unsustainable."
Marcos said people are fair to make those opinions but he maintained his resolve in sustaining the promise he made at the beginning of his presidency.
"Yung mga nagsasabi, 'Hindi, ano lang ‘yan, medyo ano pang – pangpapogi lang ‘yan. Pang ano -- pang cosmetic lang ‘yan' (Those who are saying that it is just a public gimmick, a cosmetic). Well, they're fair to make that – to have that opinion," he said.
He stressed that it could not be done in the past due to the system, but now it was made possible because the government is paying for it.
"We could not do it before. Hindi kaya kasi hindi pa kaya ng sistema. Iba pa yung presyo ng bigas noon (The system cannot handle it before. The price of rice was also different in the past)," Marcos said.
The President underscored that by making deals with different countries helped in stabilizing the price of rice.
"Kahit anong mangyari down the road, nagawa na ngayon natin. Wala tayong ganoon noon, e. Ngayon mayroon na. Kaya’t kaya na nating gawin yung 20 pesos (Whatever happens down the road, we were already able to do it now. We were not able to do so before. Now, it's here. It means we can bring it down to P20)," Marcos pointed out.
"And other things that the DA (Department of Agriculture) is able to sell rice. The price has come down," he said.
Marcos said the government is ensuring that the farmers will not be sacrificed in the initiative, saying they must earn more from the program.
"And the difference there, that's what the government is paying for," he said.
The “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” is a government program aimed at ensuring food security, accessibility, and affordability.
Kadiwa stores in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro, and Rizal are now selling P20 per kilo of rice.