Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel spearheaded the launch of the agency’s ₱20-per-kilo rice program in Cebu City on Thursday, May 1, describing it as the fulfillment of President Marcos’ campaign promise in 2022.

“Today, Labor Day, we fulfill a promise made three years ago by President Bongbong Marcos to the Filipino people: to bring down the price of rice to ₱20 per kilo,” said Laurel.

“That promise is now a reality,” he added.

To mark the rollout of the Visayas pilot run at the Cebu Capitol grounds, Laurel personally manned the Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) booth, distributing the first few kilos of rice sourced from the buffer stocks of the National Food Authority (NFA).

Laurel had earlier said that KNP stores were granted exemption by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to proceed with the selling of the ₱20 rice.

However, the provincial government of Cebu is prohibited from directly selling the rice as it has yet to secure approval from the poll body.

During the launch, Cebu and the state-run Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) signed a memorandum of agreement on the shared subsidy for the ₱20 rice program—now known as Katuparan ng Pangakong P20 na Bigas (KnP20).

The KnP20’s pilot test, which will run until December, will span Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Negros Island Region.

It is expected to benefit 800,000 households or four million people, targeting vulnerable sectors such as indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

According to the DA, each qualified household may purchase up to 30 kilos per month.

The agency is currently awaiting clarification from the Comelec on whether the ₱20 rice program is exempt from the 10-day ban on the distribution of government aid during the election period, which covers May 2 to 12.

Aside from a pilot run in Visayas, the program was set to launch in KNP stores across 16 locations in Metro Manila on Friday, May 2.

Without approval to sell during the restriction period, the DA said it plans to start selling the subsidized rice “in earnest” on May 13 or after the midterm elections.

Laurel, for his part, expressed optimism that Comelec would grant the program an exemption.

He said there is an urgent need to alleviate financial pressure on low-income families while also helping decongest NFA warehouses.

Freeing up space in warehouses, in particular, will allow the NFA to procure more palay (unmilled rice) from local farmers as the peak of the summer harvest season nears.

Based on the outcome of its pilot run, the government is keen on launching a nationwide rollout of the ₱20 rice in January 2026.

President Marcos has ordered the DA to sustain the program through the end of his term in 2028.

The DA has set aside ₱5 billion for the program’s pilot, with the potential to rise to ₱12 billion based on the demand of the market and procurement of participating local government units (LGUs).

According to the Comelec, local executives who are concurrently candidates may face possible disqualification from the elections if they fail to ask for an exemption for the rice initiative.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia had suggested that the selling of ₱20 rice could be moved after May 12 to prevent potential politicking.