CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Just days after the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the accelerated nationwide rollout of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s flagship “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival ordered the indefinite suspension of the city’s ₱20-per-kilo rice sale.
In an advisory posted on his official Facebook page, Archival said the program was “temporarily suspended until further notice.”
He said the pause was needed to allow a full inventory assessment of available stocks at the National Food Authority (NFA) and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) warehouses.
The mayor also asked residents to disregard previously released schedules for barangay-level distribution for the rest of April.
“Please disregard the schedules posted yesterday. Updates will be provided as soon as they become available,” Archival said.
He further reminded the public that neither the NFA, FTI nor the Cebu City Government had authorized any house-to-house distribution, stressing that sales would continue on a first-come, first-served basis, with at least 200 beneficiaries accommodated daily once operations resume.
“The NFA, FTI, and Cebu City Government have not authorized any house-to-house visits,” he said.
Archival added that all official announcements would be posted exclusively on his page, ending his message with “Daghang salamat sa pagsabot.”
The suspension came as the DA was highlighting the program’s nationwide expansion.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said over the weekend that the agency was scaling up the initiative by extending selling hours and opening more outlets. As of April 7, he said, 932 sites were already operating, serving 6.45 million beneficiaries.
“We have sufficient food supply, but elevated fuel and logistics costs are pushing market prices to levels that further constrain the budgets of many Filipinos,” Tiu Laurel said.
“By expanding access to affordable rice and essential goods, we are directly easing that pressure and ensuring vulnerable sectors are protected while we work to stabilize both prices and supply.”
Backed by a ₱3-billion allocation under the ₱10-billion “Rice for All” program, the DA plans to open 900 additional ₱20 rice outlets nationwide, with Cebu among the priority areas.
“Building on this renewed FTI-NFA agreement, the DA is set to roll out an additional 900 P20 selling sites nationwide, prioritizing Capiz, Bukidnon, Cebu, Cotabato, Catanduanes and other high-need areas,” the agency said.
NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said palay buying prices had been increased to as much as ₱30 per kilo in some areas to protect farmers, while FTI President Joseph Rudolph Lo projected the network of outlets would reach 1,800 nationwide by the end of 2026. Cebu City was among the early rollout sites this year.
On March 30, Archival formally launched the program at Plaza Sugbo in the North District and the Cebu City Sports Institute in Sawang Calero in the South District.
The three-day distribution ran until April 1 and catered to senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, 4Ps households, minimum wage earners, farmers, fisherfolk, transport drivers and Department of Education personnel. Each verified beneficiary was allowed to buy 10 to 20 kilos of rice.
Following the strong turnout, Archival announced on April 7 that the program would shift to barangay-level distribution, with two barangays scheduled per day.
The rollout began in Lusaran and Babag, then expanded to upland barangays such as Cambinocot, Guba, Agsungot, Paril, Mabini, Bonbon, Tabunan, Buot and Tagbao.
Before the suspension, the mayor had posted an expanded schedule covering more barangays for the rest of the month.
For Cebu City residents, the halt delays much-needed relief as commercial rice prices remain mostly above ₱50 per kilo.
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/FPL
