Cebu vendors weigh in as P20kilo rice rolls out in Visayas

Local

AT 47, Fe Yu has spent most of her life surrounded by sacks of rice. A small-time retailer in Carbon Public Market and a mother from Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City, Yu purchases rice daily, both to feed her family and to sell to loyal “suki.”

But when she heard the news that rice would soon be sold at P20 per kilo, her reaction was far from celebratory.

“Ug madayon ang 20 kilos, unsaon nalang man ang nag-negosyo ani. Kami, okay ra mi ana kay makapalit mig barato. Pero unsaon nalang ang negosyo? Ang pangutana, pila pod ang sako, ug unsa ang kalidad,” Yu said.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s ambitious campaign promise of lowering rice prices to P20 per kilo is now being set in motion.

On Wednesday, April 23, the Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed that the “P20 program” will begin its pilot implementation in the Visayas, specifically in Regions 6, 7, and 8, by the last week of April.

The announcement came after a closed-door meeting between President Marcos, Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel Jr., and several Visayas governors at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

“We’re launching it here because mas maraming nangangailangan sa mga regions na ‘yan,” said Laurel in a press briefing after the meeting. “Eventually, we aim to roll this out nationwide.”

Under the program, families may purchase up to 10 kilograms of rice per week, or 40 kilograms per month, at the subsidized rate of P20 per kilo.

The subsidy will be jointly shouldered by the national government, through the DA and the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI), and the participating local government units.

An initial budget of P3.5 to P4.5 billion has been set for the rollout, with the intention to sustain the initiative until 2028.

But while the program aims to bring relief to struggling Filipino families, some stakeholders remain skeptical.

‘Showcase ra ni?’

For Erwin Gok-ong, president of the Cebu Market Vendors Multi-purpose Cooperative (CEMVEDCO), the news is welcome, but with caution.

“Nindot kaayo ni siya nga balita. Malipay ang mga tao ana…Kaya na buhaton sa gobyerno, pero it will be very heavily subsidized. It won’t be widespread,” Gok-ong said.

Citing the global market price for rice, Gok-ong explained that importing rice and selling it at P20 per kilo would require significant government support, and may only reach a small fraction of the population.

“Pag-abot dinhi sa Cebu, P32 to P34 per kilo na gyud na. Ang P20, doable pero minimal ra nga injection. Showcase ra ni. Dili gyud ni maabot sa five percent sa total nga population,” he added.

He also raised logistical concerns, including buffer stocks, storage, monitoring, and potential diversion of rice meant for consumers.

“Naa pa silay guidelines? Kinsay pwede mobaligya? Pila ra ka kilo ang mapalit per family? Ug kinsa ang mopamaligya, LGU ba, or private?” he said.

‘Practical ba ni?’

Despite these concerns, local retailers like Yu and others in the Carbon market say they are not threatened by the entry of subsidized rice into the market.

“Kami, okay ra mi ana nga muabot gyud ang panahon nga 20 kilos nalang ang bugas. Pero ang quality mao gyud among tan-awon. Kay kung pareho ra sa klase nga NFA nga bugas nga baho, daghan og dugmok, dili gyud mahalin,” she said.

Gok-ong said the same thing. He noted that most consumers in Cebu still choose quality over price.

“Sa among tindahan, mga tawo mangita og bugas nga humot, pilit, lumoy. Bahala og gamay ra ang sud-an, basta lami ang bugas…Wala na nila gi-consider. Ang pangutana: practical ba ni? Sensible ba ni economically?” he said.

Hesitation

As Cebu prepares for the rollout, questions remain on how the P20 rice program will be implemented, monitored, and scaled. While the move is seen as a step toward addressing food insecurity and economic hardship, experts and market stakeholders agree that execution will make or break the program.

For Yu, it’s a waiting game.

“Kung ang bugas sa P20 pareho ra sa tag-P40 nga quality — humot, limpyo, lami — aw, paliton gyud. Pero kung bati, ambot lang gyud. Bisan tag-P20 pa na, dili gyud mahalin,” she said.(TGP)