P20 rice now part of Walang Gutom program

The government has officially rolled out its P20-per-kilo rice initiative under the Walang Gutom Program to make affordable food more accessible to vulnerable sectors, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian announced yesterday.

- By HELEN FLORES

At a Palace press briefing, Gatchalian said the Department of Agriculture (DA) will supply the low-cost rice to accredited retailers where program beneficiaries can redeem their monthly food credits.

"They will be provided with P20 rice so they can buy more using their food credits," Gatchalian said. The Walang Gutom Program, launched in July 2023, aims to end hunger among 750,000 food-poor families by 2027.

Under the program, qualified households receive P3,000 worth of food credits every month through an electronic benefit transfer card. These credits can be used to buy selected food items from authorized sellers.

According to Gatchalian, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already submitted to the DA a list of around 1,000 accredited retailers, including Kadiwa outlets and micro, small and medium enterprises.

He also cited findings from a Social Weather Stations survey, which showed that hunger incidence among program beneficiaries dropped by 4.1 percentage points — from 48.7 percent in October 2024 to 44.6 percent in December 2024 — indicating the program's growing impact.