President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday reaffirmed his administration’s strong commitment to supporting Filipino farmers, ensuring affordable food, and speeding up infrastructure development in the Visayas and throughout the country.
In a stirring address at the One Cebu People’s rally held at the Dumanjug Sports Complex (Mega Dome) in Dumanjug, the President stressed the government’s ongoing efforts to bolster the agricultural sector.
President Marcos said that the PhP20/kilo rice program will be implemented in the Visayas region, immediately after the Commission on Elections’ 10-day spending ban ends on May 12.
“Kaya’t pinroprose (propose) ko po sa lahat ng mga gobernador ng Visayas na sabi ko, ‘Bakit ‘di natin subukan itong P20 per kilo dito sa inyo?’” President Marcos told thousands of enthusiastic Cebuanos.
“Sinabi ng COMELEC hindi puwede May 2 to 12 kaya natigil. Pero aling probinsya ang nakapaglunsad na ng P20 per kilo ng May 1? Cebu lang! Bakit? Dahil Cebu ready na,” he said.
While awaiting full rollout, President Marcos said PhP29-per-kilo rice is available at Cebu’s seven active KADIWA sites, with more to follow.
The administration also lowered the suggested retail price (SRP) of imported rice from PhP49 to PhP45 per kilo and temporarily cut tariffs from 30 percent to 15 percent to ease food costs.
To modernize agriculture and protect livestock, President Marcos cited Cebu’s success in maintaining zero African Swine Fever (ASF) cases from January to April 2025, supported by the Department of Agriculture’s intensified vaccination campaign.
Since July 2022, the government has distributed over 36,230 post-harvest machines nationwide to help farmers increase productivity and improve harvest quality.
In infrastructure, President Marcos reported progress on road and bridge projects in Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue cities, which will cut travel time between Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Cebu Port Area from 45 to 25 minutes.
He also highlighted the ongoing construction of the Cebu International Container Port, a 25-hectare terminal that will boost Region 7’s cargo capacity and improve logistics efficiency. | PND
