NFA7: P20 per kilo rice is clean, fresh, and ready to defy doubts

Local

DESPITE doubts raised about the quality and legitimacy of the government’s ₱20-per-kilo rice program, the National Food Authority (NFA) Central Visayas is setting the record straight: the rice is clean, locally sourced, and of high quality.

To demonstrate the quality of the rice, NFA 7 prepared cooked samples for members of the media during a presentation on Monday, allowing them to inspect and taste the grains firsthand.

Olma Nedia, Acting Public Information Officer of NFA Central Visayas, said around 11,000 bags of rice have already passed quality checks.

These are now stored in their warehouses and are ready for withdrawal by participating local government units (LGUs).

Nedia explained that the rice stocks meet the necessary quality requirements under Republic Act 12078, the law that mandates the NFA to procure good-quality palay from local farmers for the program.

She added that NFA classifiers had undergone refresher training to standardize quality inspections.

"Our rice stocks are clean, properly classified, and sourced from the local farmers’ dry season harvests," Nedia said.

"We made sure that these meet the required moisture content and milling standards," she added.

Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel already addressed a question by MyTV Cebu during his visit to the Capitol, confirming that the rice under the program would be locally sourced from farmers.

Nedia said participating LGUs had already coordinated with the NFA for the withdrawal of their initial allocations starting Tuesday.

She acknowledged the skepticism surrounding the program but assured that the NFA implemented strict quality control protocols and close monitoring of rice stocks.

“We are confident that our rice will meet the expectations of the public,” she said.

Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the Marcos administration for launching the ₱20-per-kilo rice program just ahead of the elections, suggesting political motivations behind its timing.

In a rally in Carcar City, Duterte questioned the timing of the program — promised during Marcos’ 2022 campaign — now being implemented as elections approach.

She argued that the poor were being exploited for political gain.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia defended the initiative, emphasizing that it was meant to help indigent families, not serve political interests.

During a meeting with Cebu mayors, Garcia rejected accusations of vote-buying, clarifying that the rice would be sold at a subsidized price, not handed out for free.

Several LGUs in Cebu, including Malabuyoc and Daanbantayan, have already begun selling the rice.