By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government will begin selling rice at PHP20 per kilo this week.
Lacson told reporters Monday that the initial rollout will take place in Pulupandan town, where 50 sacks of rice will be distributed.
He said the provincial government will purchase the rice directly from local farmers through the Federation of Irrigators’ Association of Central Negros–Bago River Irrigation System (FIACN-BRIS).
So far, he added, there is no notice from the National Food Authority regarding the availability of additional rice supply.
After Pulupandan, the program will expand to other local government units in the province, Lacson said.
He added that more than PHP3 million will be subsidized by the provincial government to support the initiative.
The province and FIACN-BRIS already have an existing partnership offering rice at PHP25 per kilo at the Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros (FTMON) in Bacolod City.
Lacson said the PHP20-per-kilo rice is a continuation of that partnership, but at a lower price point.
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez launched the PHP20 per kilo Rice Project at the Burgos Public Market in Bacolod City.
The initiative is part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s push to reduce hunger by offering subsidized NFA rice to vulnerable communities.
Senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and indigent families are prioritized under the program, with each household allowed to buy up to 10 kilograms of rice.
