FACT-CHECK: P20-per-kilo rice only available at KADIWA Centers

CLAIM: The price of rice dropped to P20 per kilo under the Marcos administration.

RATING: MISSING CONTEXT

A TikTok post claiming a drop in rice prices under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. failed to provide context about the rice being sold at P20 per kilo, which is only available through the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) marketing initiative, and in selected KNP centers. 

The post shows that the price of rice during the Marcos administration went down to P20 per kilo, compared with P70 per kilo during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte. 

But it did not explain that the cheap rice is only offered through the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” program in several KADIWA centers, and originally scheduled to last only until December 2025. 

Despite the initiative’s goal to ensure food accessibility and security, the project is 

limited in scope to vulnerable groups, including low-income families, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities. 

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as of May 29 showed that the average price of regular milled rice stood at P43.32 per kilo nationwide. 

As of writing, the TikTok post has drawn 4,982 views, 239 likes, and 10 shares. Kylyn Kyth Cuñado

PressOne.PH is a verified signatory of the Code of Principles of the International Fact -Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter. The code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network is a series of commitments organizations abide by to promote excellence in fact-checking. We believe nonpartisan and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument of accountability journalism..

PressOne.PH believes that fact-checking is essential to combating misinformation and disinformation, and in informing and educating citizens and voters. Read more of PressOne.PH’s Fact-Checking Policy by clicking here.

The public is welcome to send feedback or requests for fact-checks at factcheck@pressone.ph.

If you believe PressOne.PH is violating the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), you may submit a complaint directly to the IFCN website: https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/complaints-policy