Beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) flagship Walang Gutom Program (WGP) can now purchase rice at just P20 per kilo, following a strategic partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo initiative.
The collaboration, dubbed “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na sa WGP,” is a key step in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s anti-hunger campaign, which aims to make food more accessible and affordable for vulnerable households.
The official rollout was held during a food redemption activity at Morsac Basketball Court in Barangay 69, Tondo, Manila, where DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian emphasized the impact of the initiative.
“Through this partnership, our beneficiaries can now buy rice at an unprecedented P20 per kilo from DA-accredited retailers and Kadiwa outlets.”
“Through this partnership, our beneficiaries can now buy rice at an unprecedented P20 per kilo from DA-accredited retailers and Kadiwa outlets,” Gatchalian said.
“This significantly increases the value of their food credits, helping families access healthier meals,” the social welfare chief added.
Initial beneficiaries include solo parents, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) enrolled in the program. Each household receives P3,000 in monthly food credits through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which they can redeem for nutritious food items on scheduled distribution days—after completing required Nutrition Education Sessions (NES).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the program benefits not just low-income consumers, but local rice farmers as well.
“Our partnership with DSWD to expand President Marcos’ P20 rice program helps financially challenged families and supports local agriculture. Every bag of rice sold frees up storage for two sacks of palay that the National Food Authority (NFA) must buy from farmers at fair prices,” Tiu Laurel explained.
The inclusion of P20 rice is intended to stretch food credits further, while reinforcing household food security.
“We are committed to ensuring marginalized families have consistent access to affordable, nutritious food.”
DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra reaffirmed the agency’s support: “We are committed to ensuring marginalized families have consistent access to affordable, nutritious food. Kadiwa stores and DA-accredited suppliers play a crucial role in this effort.”
The DSWD-DA collaboration is part of Marcos’ broader social protection strategy to curb food insecurity and ease inflationary pressures on low-income households.
To date, the Walang Gutom Program has served over 300,000 families and aims to reach 750,000 households by 2028.
More than just a subsidy, the initiative underscores a growing push for inter-agency coordination, leveraging supply chains, digital systems, and policy alignment to combat hunger at scale.
