MANILA – Senatorial hopeful Vicente Sotto III from Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas remains optimistic about reducing rice prices to PHP20 per kilogram. Speaking at a media event in Hotel Savano, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, Sotto emphasized that this goal is within reach if the government commits to purchasing 50 percent of the rice produced by local farmers.
Sotto explained, ‘There’s a strong chance that by buying 50 percent of the farmers’ produce at their set price, we can significantly lower the market price.’ He stressed that the primary aim of this proposal is to decrease rice prices while ensuring that farmers benefit from their sales.
However, fellow Alyansa candidate and former senator Panfilo Lacson expressed skepticism about achieving such a low price. ‘While I rarely disagree with Senator Sotto, realistically, reaching PHP20 per kilogram seems challenging. If we can get close to that figure, it would be a cause for celebration, but hitting exactly PHP20 per kilogram is tough,’ Lacson remarked.
Meanwhile, the Kadiwa ng Pangulo kiosk continues to offer rice at reduced prices through the Rice for All (RFA) program. The prices have seen a further decline due to falling global rice prices and the approaching peak of the palay harvest season. As of February 12, RFA5 rice, which contains up to 5 percent broken grains, is available at PHP43 per kilogram, RFA25 with up to 25 percent broken grains at PHP35 per kilogram, and RFA100, fully composed of broken grains, at PHP33 per kilogram.