The directive to establish more Kadiwa stores will make cheaper rice available to the vulnerable sectors in Eastern Visayas, the National Food Authority’s (NFA) regional office here said on Tuesday.

Since there are still no local government units in the region interested in distributing the PHP20 per kg. rice, the NFA said it is counting on Kadiwa stores to dispose of its rice stocks.

“Even prior to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President, we were informed by the Department of Agriculture that they will set up two Kadiwa stores for each of the 13 congressional districts in the region,” NFA 8 (Eastern Visayas) manager May Ann Sabarre said in an interview.

During his SONA on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized that bringing down the price of rice is possible, citing the pilot rollout of the program in different provinces.

“Sa mga nagtatanong kung nasaan na ang ‘bente pesos na bigas,’ ito ang aking tugon: Napatunayan natin na kaya na natin ang bente pesos na bawat kilo ng bigas, nang hindi malululgi ang mga magsasaka (To those who are asking where the ‘twenty-peso rice’ is, this is my response: We have proven that we can afford twenty pesos per kilo of rice without hurting the farmers),” the President said.

Marcos added that PHP13 billion has been allocated to strengthen the DA’s programs, such as the establishment of hundreds of Kadiwa stores and centers.

In Eastern Visayas, Sabarre said, they have been encouraging local governments to participate in the program, but officials are still finalizing schemes on how to allocate the PHP6.50 subsidy per kg. of rice.

The PHP6.50 represents half of the PHP13 per kg. subsidy of the government. The other half will be shouldered by the DA through its attached agency, the Food Terminal, Inc.

Previously, NFA rice was sold at PHP33 per kg., but Marcos directed government agencies to sell it for PHP20, under what is now called the “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” program that was launched on May 1.

Under the program, indigent families are eligible to buy a maximum of 10 kg. per week or a total of 40 kg. a month.

The Visayas was chosen for the pilot run of the rice program due to its higher-than-average poverty rate, which exceeds the national average of 10.9 percent. In Eastern Visayas, the poverty incidence is at 20.3 percent.

Currently, the NFA in the region has 275,064 bags of rice stored in 19 warehouses. The inventory will last a week if the government is the only source of staple food. (PNA)