Bulacan: The government’s PHP20-per-kg. rice initiative can help keep headline inflation low, Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson said on Wednesday. In a media interview at the Bulacan State University, Lacson emphasized the importance of implementing the rice program to sustain the downtrend in inflation.
According to Philippines News Agency, headline inflation fell to its lowest level in over five years at 1.4 percent in April, the lowest recorded since the 1.2 percent in November 2019. This decline has been attributed to lower food inflation, driven by a faster year-on-year decline in the rice index at 10.9 percent, as well as reduced inflation rates for vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses at 2.3 percent.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier assured the launch of the PHP20/kg. rice program dubbed as ‘Benteng Bigas Mayroon (BBM) Na’ at Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) centers in Metro Manila immediately after the May 12 midterm elections. At least 19 KNP sites are expected to join the rollout of the rice initiative in Metro Manila, following its official launch in Cebu province on May 1.
Each KNP site will have a weekly supply of 50 sacks, or a total of 950 sacks per week across the 19 KNP sites, the DA said. The initiative is anticipated to have a significant impact on stabilizing rice prices and subsequently maintaining low inflation rates.
