Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday slammed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) initiative to sell rice at ₱20 per kilo in the Visayas, calling it a political ploy aimed at boosting the administration’s Senate slate ahead of the 2025 elections.
“Isn’t this the same promise they made before but couldn’t deliver because they didn’t know how?” Duterte remarked during an ambush interview. She criticized the government for once again reviving the pledge, originally made during the 2022 campaign by then-presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., without any clear roadmap to make it happen.
“I don’t know what their motive is—maybe they’re trying to fool people again with this ₱20-per-kilo rice story,” Duterte said, suggesting that the effort was more about winning votes than solving hunger.
She also warned against the quality of rice being offered at such a low price, suggesting it might be similar to rice typically used as livestock feed. “If you’re selling rice at ₱20, it should be fit for human consumption. Filipinos are not animals,” she asserted.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had earlier announced the pilot launch of the ₱20 rice program in the Visayas, with a 10-kilogram weekly purchase limit per person. Laurel emphasized the administration’s commitment to making the program nationwide.
But Duterte questioned why the program was being limited to the Visayas, hinting that it could be a strategic move due to possible voter dissatisfaction in the region. “Why only in Visayas? Are we not hungry in Mindanao?” she asked rhetorically.
As the debate heats up over rice prices and political intent, Malacañang has yet to respond to Duterte’s criticisms.