Farmers and farmworkers in the Province and City of Iloilo gained access to affordable and quality rice, priced at P20 per kilogram, following the launch of the ‘Benteng Bigas Meron Na!’ project at the National Food Authority (NFA) Region 6 Warehouse in Jaro, Iloilo City, on September 4.
Farmers listed in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), who till not more than two hectares, can avail themselves of up to 10 kilograms of rice per month or 50 kilograms of rice for a five-month allocation.
According to Glenda G. Paz, NFA Iloilo Branch Office Manager, an initial allocation of well-milled NFA rice is being made available daily for farmers, from Monday to Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
She added that the rice distributed under this program is sourced from local farmers in Iloilo and Guimaras.
“As we enter the harvest season across the province and nearby areas, we continue to encourage our farmers to sell their produce to the NFA. The national government offers competitive prices, with clean and dry palay purchased at Php 23 to Php 30 per kilo, and wet palay at Php 17 to Php 23 per kilo, depending on quality and prevailing weekly rates,” said Paz.
According to her, the NFA Iloilo Branch has a limited capacity for buying wet palay due to restricted drying facilities. However, this concern is being addressed through the Masagana Agri-Food Infrastructure Modernization program in Dumangas, Jaro, and Dueñas, Iloilo. These facilities are expected to be operational by early 2026, enabling the agency to better cater to farmers’ wet palay harvests in the next cropping seasons.
During the launch, farmers from various farmer cooperatives and associations in Iloilo City, including Dumangas, Oton, New Lucena, and San Miguel, Iloilo, were among the first buyers of the Php 20 per kilogram NFA rice.
Meanwhile, DA Western Visayas’ OIC-Regional Technical Director Maria Teresa T. Solis said the P20 Rice Project is a result of a strong partnership among NFA, DA, and Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI). “While the DA provides inputs and support to our farmers, we are not the ones selling rice. That is why the cooperation between NFA and FTI is important in realizing this program.”
Solis hopes that the program will be sustained and deliver wider benefits, stating that they would seek authorization from the NFA Central Office and FTI for regional and provincial offices to continue selling Php 20 per kilo rice to reach more beneficiaries.
In addition, Herrielle V. Jumagbas, Acting Regional Manager of NFA Western Visayas, said that this government program was initially intended for the vulnerable sector. However, it has also been recognized that the farmers, being the backbone of the agri-food system, continue to face economic challenges. Hence, they have now been included as beneficiaries of the P20 rice project.
“NFA rice is of good quality because it comes directly from our farmers. It should not be disregarded or labeled otherwise, because it represents the hard work of our farmers. By appreciating this, we also encourage you to continue planting and producing more,” she said.
NFA Iloilo Assistant Branch Manager Philip Cesar B. Rumbaoa, Regional Farmers Action Council Chairperson Ricardo Doce, and representatives from the Iloilo City Agriculture Office also graced the launching.
Doce shared that their Council has passed a resolution strongly supporting House Bill No. 1, or the proposed bill, which seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law by restoring the tariff on imported rice from 15 percent back to 35 percent. The measure aims to generate higher government revenue while addressing the flooding of imported rice in the local market.
He said, “We continue to appeal to our farmers to remain patient and hopeful. Currently, rice from the NFA is priced at Php 23 per kilo, which is already higher than the prevailing rates offered by traders. With the passage of House Bill No. 1 and the restoration of NFA’s mandate, we are confident that the farmgate price of palay can be further improved.” (via DA-RAFIS 6)
