BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Albee Benitez announced on Monday, June 2, that the city government will officially launch its P20 per kilo rice program on Thursday, June 5.
Bacolod to launch P20 per kilo rice on June 5
P8-M initial budget allotted for program
Published Jun 2, 2025 06:11 pm
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. will lead the launching of the program with an initial budget of P8 million.
BENITEZ (Glazyl Masculino)
“Everyone is looking forward to this,” said Benitez.
He said the program is part of the city’s efforts to address inflation, particularly the rising cost of food, which he identified as a major contributor.
“We have to make sure price stability is maintained and that our constituents don’t bear the brunt of inflation. That’s why we are really pushing for this program,” he said.
Benitez said the National Food Authority (NFA) currently has about 9,000 sacks of rice in storage here. “We’re taking all of it,” he said.
Distribution will follow the guidelines, but the city may propose alternative methods to ensure fair and efficient access, the mayor said.
Rice will be made available in selected barangays and markets through a clustering system, and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.
“This is a national program,” Benitez said. “As long as the national program continues, the local government unit (LGU) will support and implement it locally.”
The city originally planned to roll out its own rice subsidy program priced at P33 per kilo backed by a P13.2-million budget. However, the city decided to align with the national government’s lower-priced program.
Under the program, the city will source rice from the NFA through the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), a government-owned and controlled corporation. The cost of subsidies will be equally shared by FTI and the city government.
Benitez said the program could continue beyond the initial phase if more rice becomes available, though he acknowledged that future implementation may be subject to change when the newly elected mayor, Greg Gasataya, assumes office by the end of this month.
Benitez is set assume the position as Bacolod’s lone district representative currently held by Gasataya. They swapped positions in the May 2025 midterm elections.