by Leonardo Micua
Residents of Dagupan City, especially low-income families struggling to afford higher-priced staples, will soon have more regular access to rice priced at P20 per kilogram.
This was decided during a special session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod held on March 12, presided over by Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, which approved Resolution No. 8586-2026. The resolution authorizes Mayor Belen Fernandez to sign a memorandum of agreement with Food Terminal, Inc. (FTI), represented by Joseph Rudolph Lo, to implement the P20 Rice Project and operate the Kadiwa Center in Dagupan City.
FTI, a government-owned corporation under the National Food Authority established in 1968, specializes in food processing, warehousing, and marketing services, with its headquarters in Taguig, Metro Manila. The P20 Rice Project, launched by the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies, aims to provide rice at a subsidized price of P20 per kilogram to qualified beneficiaries, focusing on vulnerable groups within society.
The resolution, jointly proposed by Councilors Marcelino Fernandez, Jose Netu Tamayo, Karlos Liberator E. Reyna IV, Jeslito Seen, and Christel Hilary Paras, and supported by Councilors Luis Samson Jr., Marvin Fabia, Jalice Cayabyab, and Bradley Benavides, emphasizes FTI’s ability to manage supply, distribution, and logistics to ensure the successful rollout of the P20 Rice Project and the operation of the Kadiwa Center, in accordance with current regulations.
Kadiwa Centers serve as direct farm-to-consumer markets, allowing the public to buy agricultural products, including rice, at lower prices.
With this as the sole agenda of the special session, Councilor Jeslito Seen moved for adjournment.