THE Philippine Department of Agriculture's (DA) subsidized rice program, which sells the staple grain at P20 per kilo, reached 961,346 beneficiaries in September, its highest monthly turnout since it began in May 2025.

The DA said consumers purchased 21.4 million kilos of rice under the program during the month. From January to September, a total of 135.98 million kilos were bought by consumers.

September's tally surpassed the previous record of 838,695 beneficiaries set in April, underscoring sustained demand for the cheaper rice.

“This year alone, from January to the end of September, the P20-per-kilo rice program has directly helped over 5.6 million Filipinos ease the pressure on their wallets, while helping local farmers secure a higher price for their palay (unmilled rice) from the National Food Authority (NFA),” said DA Secretary and NFA Chairperson Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr.

The P20-per-kilo initiative is a flagship food-affordability program under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., whose administration has prioritized bringing down rice prices in the Philippines, where rice is the main dietary staple and a significant driver of household expenses. The NFA, the state-run grains agency, procures palay from local farmers to support farmgate prices and maintain the government's rice buffer stock, a reserve held for use during supply shortfalls or emergencies. The program spans both ends of the rice supply chain: subsidized retail sales for consumers and, through the NFA, government purchases of palay from local growers.

According to the DA, key buyers under the President's rice initiative include senior citizens, indigents, solo parents, persons with disabilities, farmers, fisherfolk, and minimum-wage earners.

Mr. Laurel will also allow beneficiaries to claim their 30-kilo allocation in a single transaction starting December this year. Whether turnout keeps pace in the final quarter, when the new claiming arrangement takes effect, remains to be seen. — Maria Mikaela H. Tormon