P20 NFA rice available in Kalinga starting today

Tabuk City, Kalinga - NFA warehouses begin selling rice at P20 per kilo as the government’s flagship rice subsidy program, “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” is reaching more people.

As for Kalinga, the “Benteng Bigas” will be launched today, August 13, 2025 at the National Food Authority (NFA) Tabuk Warehouse, Bulanao, Tabuk City at 8:00 AM and will run on weekdays until December 2025.

Registered iKalinga farmers under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) program, according to the DA, will be the first to benefit from the P20-per-kilo rice offer, with a purchase limit of 10 kilos per month.

As many farm workers may not have an RSBSA ID, the NFA said they may present any valid government-issued ID instead.

In an interview with GURU Press Cordillera, NFA Tabuk Warehouse Supervisor Gay Lynn Sumo said that the program targets to serve farm workers and smallholder farmers with two hectares or less across Kalinga and is limited to Tabuk City for now, as only Tabuk and Rizal have submitted their master lists.

“Beneficiaries are farm workers and farmers with 2 hectares (ha) and below farm, in Kalinga, but for this week, Tabuk City famers only. Kasi awan paylang listaan mi from other municipalities—only Tabuk and Rizal paylang nag-submit ti master list and sabi ng Rizal, hold muna. Makita how is it nu bigat ket agi-schedule kami. So nu bigat, launching palang—open siya for the whole Tabuk. Farmers from Rizal may also come,” said Sumo.

Sumo also shared that the daily allocation is limited to 250 bags, but additional supplies may be requested if demand exceeds availability.

Farmers with over 2 hectares may also participate, though priority is given to those with 2 hectares or less.

Further, registered farmers are allowed to buy their entire monthly allocation in bulk, meaning they can purchase a 50-kilo sack or 1 cavan of the P20 rice to fulfill their quota from August to December.

If a farmer is unable to attend, they may designate a representative who is also an RSBSA-registered farmer; however, the representative can only get up to 10 kilos of rice on their behalf.

“If farmers want to avail the 50 kilos or 1 cavan rice sum of until December in one day, pwede mong kunin yung sum up to December nu sika mismo ti umay mangala. If not, they may send representative which must be registered farmers as well with RSBA cards, pero diyay ipaw-it da, limited to 10 kilos only. So sika nga nagpaw-itan da, ti pwedem lang nga iyawid ket 10 kilos,” Sumo relayed.

If a farmer has already passed away, their RSBSA registration may be transferred to anyone of the immediate family members. If the card has not yet been transferred, immediate family members may claim the allocation on their behalf.

As for the payment options, Sumo said only cash payments are accepted for now since online payment systems are not yet in place.