The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday that 42 Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) centers and stores across Luzon will offer rice at ₱20 per kilo this May under the government’s “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” (BBM Na) initiative.
According to DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra, 32 of the identified KNP locations are already selling the discounted rice as part of the program’s initial rollout in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. These rice stocks come from the National Food Authority (NFA) and were previously sold at ₱29 per kilo.
The rice is primarily intended for sectors classified as vulnerable, including beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents.
“We are studying how to distribute to the remaining 10 sites for next week,” Guevarra said in a media interview, adding that the locations of the additional stores will be announced later this month.
Among the currently operating KNP points are public markets and DA facilities in Metro Manila and Luzon, including:
- Pasay City Public Market, Kamuning Market in Quezon City, Mandaluyong Public Market I and II, Bagong Silang Public Market in Caloocan, Navotas Agora Complex, and New Las Piñas Market.
- DA Agribusiness Development Center, Bureau of Animal Industry Dome, and Bureau of Plant Industry in Manila.
- Satellite locations such as the FTI Complex in Taguig, PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Navotas City Hall grounds, and local government units in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro.
Rolling Kadiwa stalls have also been deployed in municipalities such as Dasmariñas, Rodriguez, and Antipolo.
Aside from Luzon, the Food Terminal, Inc. confirmed that several local governments in the Visayas—including Siquijor, Southern Leyte, and Bohol—have placed orders for NFA rice as part of preparations for their own launches of the BBM Na program. Cebu began offering the ₱20 rice earlier on May 1.
Guevarra said the DA is also considering opening an additional 20 selling sites in the near future to widen access to low-cost rice amid persistent concerns over food affordability.###