The government has allocated PhP5 billion for its PhP29 per-kilo-rice program to make rice affordable to more Filipinos, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Thursday.

Castro assured the public the government had sufficient funds to sustain the rice program.

“[May] inilaan po ang pamahalaan para po diyan, five billion (pesos) po para po dito sa programang ito,” Castro said in a Malacañang briefing.

On March 21, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the tripling of the monthly allocation for the PhP29 per-kilo-rice program, allowing beneficiaries to purchase up to 30 kilos of rice each month.

The affordable rice is available at all Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores nationwide.

The program benefits senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, indigents, and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Asked how the tripling of National Food Authority (NFA) rice allocation balances support for consumers and farmers, particularly on warehouse decongestion, Castro said increasing the amount of purchase will lessen the agency’s buffer stocks.

Castro said this will create more space, allowing the NFA to purchase more palay from farmers, especially during the harvest season. | PND