MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expanding access to affordable rice and basic food staples in Manila through the KADIWA ng Pangulo and P20 “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” rice program as part of efforts to strengthen food security in the capital.

The DA recently held a coordination meeting with the City Government of Manila, home to about 2 million residents and hosting an additional million people daily, to ensure steady access to low-cost food and promote urban agriculture as a buffer against supply disruptions and rising prices.

Central to the discussion was the Gulayan sa Bayan Program, which encourages household- and community-level food production to improve nutrition, food availability, and resilience in highly urbanized areas. The program complements rice subsidies by reducing logistics costs and reliance on external supply chains.

The meeting was attended by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, DA Undersecretary for High Value Crops Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, and Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Atty. Genevieve E. Velicaria-Guevarra. Officials reviewed the expansion of flagship programs, including Urban Agriculture, Gulayan sa Paaralan, KADIWA ng Pangulo, and the P20 rice initiative.

Caballero highlighted the economic potential of urban farming in Manila. “The market for vegetables, herbs, and other high-demand crops in Manila is huge,” she said. “Urban farming brings production closer to the market, cuts costs, and creates income opportunities for communities. Cities play a critical role in building sustainable food systems.”

Mayor Moreno pledged the city’s full support for the expanded rollout of KADIWA and the P20 rice program, stressing the need to engage young people in food production. “We will expand access to affordable rice for Manileños, while teaching the youth that food can be grown even in the city,” he said.

Guevarra added that the P20 rice program is being rolled out more widely across Metro Manila in line with the DA’s directive to ensure broader coverage and reach more urban families in need.