The scheduled sale of rice at the highly anticipated price of P20 per kilo in Negros Occidental’s Pulupandan town did not push through last weekend.

Governor Eugenio Jose Bong Lacson announced that the Pulupandan municipal government was not yet ready to implement the program.

The locality requested to reset the rollout to a later date.

“Pulupandan proposed June 24 instead,” Lacson told the Capitol media.

The governor previously stated that once the program begins in Pulupandan, it will be expanded to other towns and cities across the province through a rolling store system, ensuring wider access to affordable rice.

The P20 per kilo of rice program will prioritize indigent families, senior citizens and other vulnerable sectors of the community.

It is important to note that the rice to be sold under this initiative will not come from the National Food Authority.

Instead, the provincial government will source the supply from the Federation of Irrigators’ Association Central Negros – Bago River Irrigation System, a long-time partner in providing affordable rice to the community.

This program aims to alleviate the burden of rising food costs on the most vulnerable sectors of Negros Occidental, ensuring that basic staples remain accessible to all./JB, WDJ