National Food Authority (NFA) officials inspected rice warehouses in Cebu City on Friday, May 23, 2025 as part of a government program to sell subsidized rice at 20 pesos per kilogram – less than half the typical market price.

The inspection follows the arrival of 35,000 sacks of milled rice from Mindoro province, marking the expansion of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” (BBM Na) program into the Visayas region.

NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said officials were implementing strict quality controls using a “first-in, first-out” strategy to ensure only decent-quality rice reaches consumers.

“We saw the stocks that arrived here. Of course, stocks can be good or bad. That’s why inspection is needed,” Lacson told Cebu media, adding that quality checks were segregating acceptable grain from substandard rice.

The NFA evaluates rice based on proper milling standards, acceptable odor, and eating quality before approving it for the subsidy program.

BBM Na program is Malacañan’s response to persistent food inflation, which has squeezed household budgets across the country.

Rice serves as the staple food for most Filipinos, making price fluctuations particularly sensitive for consumers.

Officials plan to distribute more than 1,200 bags from Cebu’s warehouse stocks to six municipalities, including 400 bags for Talisay and 325 for Tabogon.

Additional rice will be supplied to local jails and detention facilities.

The program sources rice from other areas, including Zamboanga Peninsula and Cagayan de Oro, to ensure adequate supplies for Central Visayas.

Currently operating at 38 Kadiwa ng Pangulo retail sites across Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa regions, the program is expanding to 16 local government units in Cebu province.

Photos: courtesy of NFA Central Visayas