The Department of Agriculture launched the country’s first province-wide P20 Rice for All program in Lingayen, Pangasinan, on January 13, Tuesday.

Dubbed “Benteng Bigas Meron Na,” the initiative makes rice available at P20 per kilogram for farmers, fisherfolk, and the vulnerable sector at both provincial and municipal levels.

Pangasinan was selected as the pilot site given its readiness to carry out the project, high poverty incidence, and the recent impact of the low palay prices and typhoons on local farmers.

“One main factor in the selection is the presence of the NFA warehouse here,” Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. He noted that with over 350 NFA warehouses nationwide, Pangasinan hosts one of the biggest.

Currently, NFA warehouses are at 80% capacity. With the harvest season beginning in mid-February and peaking in March, the DA aims to clear 70% of current stocks to make room for new palay purchases from local farmers at fair prices.

“It is very important to launch this now to reduce the inventory in NFA warehouses,” Sec. Laurel explained. “Last year, we encountered problems because it was harvest season, but the warehouses were full because we had no outlet. Now, the story is different.”

The DA will roll out the P20 Rice for All program weekly to other provinces. “We have 82 provinces and 52 weeks, so every week, other provinces will open,” the Secretary added.

To avoid duplication and exploitation of the program, the P20 monitoring app was also launched.

A purchase limit of 20 kilograms per transaction is enforced with a maximum of 30 to 50 kilograms a month. For farmers and fisherfolk, they are allowed 30 to 50 kilograms, while the vulnerable sector, which includes 4Ps beneficiaries, solo parents, and PWDS, among others, is allowed a maximum of 30 kilograms.

The P20 Rice for All program is slated to run until June 2028. It is a joint undertaking of the Department of Agriculture, the National Food Authority, and Food Terminal Incorporated.