Marcos: smuggling, spoiled officials delayed P20/kilo rice plan

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. (File photo)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has blamed smuggling and “spoiled” government officials for the almost three-year delay of his promised P20-per-kilo rice program.

Speaking in Episode 1 of the BBM Podcast on Monday, the president was asked why it took years to fulfill his promise of bringing down the price of rice to P20 per kilo during his campaign for the 2022 elections.

“Because in the Philippines, officials have become spoiled. They just keep importing and importing. And that importation—some of it is legal, some of it is illegal,” Marcos said in Filipino.

“The truth is, what we saw as the price control for rice was the smuggled rice. That’s why hoarding happens,” he also said.

Unchecked importation

When he assumed office, Marcos said they initially focused on boosting local rice production to address shortages caused by unchecked importation.

“That’s why we keep building irrigation systems. We’ve built a lot of dams. We’ve also distributed a lot of machinery,” he said.

“In 2023, the rice harvest in the Philippines was the highest in the country’s history. It was even surpassed in 2024. So in terms of production, we are gradually supporting it,” Marcos continued.

Raids on illegally imported rice

Local authorities also stepped up raids on warehouses holding illegally imported rice.

“Alright, they just keep coming in one after another. They don’t care about production. They don’t care about the system. They don’t care about the price of palay, the price of rice, or the farmers’ earnings. There’s none of that.,” Marcos said, referring to officials who allow that kind of practice.

However, Marcos said these actions lead to a reduction in rice supply.

“There are laws that need to be changed. There are people who need to be replaced. It’s a different concept now. This is the first time we’ve put everything together,” he said.

P20-per-kilo rice

The P20-per-kilo rice program is divided into three phases.

Phase 1 is already implemented in Negros Oriental, Samar, Eastern Samar, Negros Occidental, Northern Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Antique, Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Guimaras, Siquijor, Aklan and Mindoro.

At a Palace briefing earlier in the day, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., said Phase 2 will cover Zamboanga del Norte, Basilan, Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Davao Oriental, Sorsogon and Maguindanao del Norte.

The second phase will start in July.

Meanwhile, Phase 3 will begin in September in Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Catanduanes, Agusan del Sur, Sarangani and Dinagat Islands.