THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it hopes to expand the coverage of its P20-per-kilo rice pilot test to reach about 14 million beneficiaries by September.
The program will be expanded to parts of Luzon and Mindanao, after having been initially launched in selected Visayan provinces on May 1,the DA said in a statement.
The pilot test for the subsidized-rice program, targeted at vulnerable segments of society like the poor, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and single parents — is scheduled to run until December.
The second phase of the rollout, which begins in July, will target Zamboanga del Norte, which has a poverty incidence of 37.7%; as well as Basilan, Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, the Maguindanao provinces, and Davao Oriental. It will also be offered in Sorsogon, on Luzon.
The third phase, starting in September, will extend coverage to Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Sarangani, and Dinagat Islands. Also included in this phase is Catanduanes.
The subsidized rice is sourced from the National Food Authority, whose current inventory is equivalent to around 8 million 50-kilo bags of milled rice.
In locations where local government units (LGUs) share the subsidy, it will be up to the LGUs to determine eligibility, with the limit set at 30 kilos per household. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
