FACT CHECK: Marcos did make P20/kilo rice promise

Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. never promised to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a YouTube video, which has gained over 20,000 views and 1,300 likes from a channel with 110,000 subscribers.

A narrator in the video claims that Marcos never promised to lower the price of rice, but only expressed an aspiration to do so. “Ang tanging nasaad ng ating Pangulong Marcos ay nanaisin niyang gawing P20 ang presyo nitong bigas at wala siyang ipinangako.”

(President Marcos only stated that he wanted to bring down the price of rice to P20, he did not promise anything.)

The bottom line: During his 2022 campaign, Marcos vowed to lower the price of the food staple to P20 to P30 per kilo by recommending a price cap. In his first two years as president, he also stuck to the promise and said the country was getting closer to achieving this goal.

Campaign promise: On April 17, 2022, Marcos’ political party Partido Federal ng Pilipinas said in a statement that Marcos would ensure lower rice prices once elected president.

“Tiniyak ni Partido Federal ng Pilipinas presidential frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., na magkakaroon ng murang bigas na hanggang P20 kada kilo sa kanyang administrasyon matapos siyang manalo sa darating na halalan sa Mayo 9,” the statement read.

(Partido Federal ng Pilipinas presidential frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. gave assurances there will be cheap rice of up to P20 per kilo under his administration after he wins the May 9 elections.)

A news release from the Presidential Communications Office also referred to the P20 per kilo price of rice as a Marcos campaign promise: “The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains hopeful that it will fulfill his campaign promise of lowering the price of rice to P20.00, despite the current rice productivity in the country, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).”

Multiple news outlets, such as Inquirer, Business World, and ABS CBN News, have also reported on the statement as a Marcos campaign promise. 

In subsequent interviews, Marcos referred to the P20 per kilo promise as an “aspiration,” a “goal,” and a “dream.” The president has mentioned on several occasions that his administration is “doing everything” it can and is getting closer to achieving this goal.

Price caps: Two years on, the DA said that achieving the P20 per kilo goal “would be quite difficult” because of external factors, Inquirer.net reported. Based on the DA’s August 30 price monitoring data, the price range for local regular milled rice is at P42 to P55 per kilo, while imported regular milled rice sells for P43. Local well-milled rice ranges from P47 to P56 per kilo and P52 per kilo for imported rice. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Brace yourselves for higher rice prices under Marcos)

On August 31, Malacañang signed an executive order setting a nationwide price ceiling for rice. Executive Order No. 39 imposes a price cap of P41 per kilo for regular-milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice. 

Rappler has already published several fact-checks about food stability under the Marcos administration:

• FACT CHECK: Food prices remain high under Marcos
• FACT CHECK: PH is yet to surpass 100% rice self-sufficiency
• HINDI TOTOO: Nangungunang rice granary ang Filipinas noong panahon ni Marcos

– Kyle Marcelino/Rappler.com

Kyle Marcelino is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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