Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco led the ceremonial selling of P20 per kilo rice to Cebuanos at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on May 1.
“Today, Labor Day, we fulfill a promise made three years ago by President Bongbong Marcos (PBBM) to the Filipino people: to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo. That promise is now a reality—Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” Tiu Laurel said.
National Food Authority Administrator Larry Lacson; Food Terminal Incorporated President and CEO Joseph Rudolph C. Lo; and Agriculture 7 Regional Executive Director Angel Enriquez also graced the occasion.
Under the leadership of Gov. Gwen Garcia, Cebu Province has implemented the Sugbo Merkadong Barato (SMB) program as early as November 2023. The SMB sells rice to the Cebuanos at P20 per kilo while being duly monitored by a quick response or QR-coded cards issued by the Capitol.
Cebuanos, particularly from the vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, solo parents and persons with disabilities, flocked to the Capitol to avail of the P20 per kilo rice while presenting their QR-coded cards and government-issued ID to avail of up to 10 kilos per household.
Also during the roll out, FTI and the Province signed a memorandum of agreement on the shared subsidy of the P20 rice initiative pilot test in the province. The pilot test, which will run until December, will cover other regions in the Visayas and should benefit around 800,000 households or 4 million people.
Last April 25, Gov. Gwen met with Cebu mayors for the roll-out of the program a day after her meeting with PBBM and the Visayas governors on April 23.
In the said meeting, President Marcos gave a go-signal to replicate Capitol’s SMB program since it already has its own mechanism which has been effective.
“Swerte lang namin is we already have a template in Cebu. Dun na lang kami, i-wo-work namin kung ano yung ginawa na ng Cebu,” Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores said in a press conference with Visayas governors at the Capitol last April 23. | PIO