Fact and fiction shape how we see the world, but they operate in fundamentally different ways. Facts are rooted in verifiable evidence — essential for science, journalism, and reasoned debate. Fiction, by contrast, draws from imagination to explore human experience, emotion, and culture.
Knowing where one ends, and the other begins is not just academic — it is key to thinking critically, telling compelling stories, and navigating a world where the lines between truth and fiction often blur.
A recent survey by Pulse Asia showed that the trust rating of Duterte was up, while that of Marcos was lower, hence, the President’s advisers considered that the cause may have been that his campaign promises have remained unfulfilled, thus far, such as bringing down the price of rice to P20 per kilo.
So recently, President Marcos Jr. assured the public that the Administration’s P20/kilo rice program would be sustainable until 2028, as he denied criticism that the initiative would be short-lived.
Furthermore, he said the government had found a system to ensure that his Administration could provide cheap rice to vulnerable sectors until the end of his term in 2028.
Speaker Martin Romualdez said the P20 per kilo rice program should remind Filipinos of the President’s fulfillment of his campaign promise to make rice affordable to all Filipinos.
However, most Filipinos doubt the government’s ability to sustain such program, and surmise that the rice sold is even from the old stock of the National Food Administration.
Knowing the Marcos record, while recalling and understanding past events, many are wondering if this is fact of fiction.
It has been established that a fact is an objective observation that is verifiable and based on empirical evidence. Facts are consistent, regardless of personal beliefs or opinions, stating verified facts is fundamental to maintaining credibility and public trust.
Under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, only members of vulnerable sectors—including indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents—are eligible to buy NFA rice at P20 per kilo.
The rice sold in Kadiwa centers is subsidized by the government through the Food Terminal Inc.
For programs where local government units share the subsidy, it will be up to the LGU to determine eligibility. The limit is 30 kilos per household.
The Department of Agriculture has also drawn up several options to sustain the program until the end of the President’s term in June 2028, potentially covering up to 15 million households—or approximately 60 million Filipinos.
This expansion underscores the government’s commitment to making rice more affordable and accessible to all.
On the other hand, Sen.Cynthia Villar noted mounting debt and losses of NFA in 2017 due to its strategy of buying from local farmers at high prices, and selling to the public at subsidized rates.
She added that the NFA has incurred costs due to poor inventory management, including rice spoilage, overstocking, and unnecessary storage expenses, citing a previous Commission on Audit report which indicated that “rice stocks left to rot due to over-importation and delayed distribution—highlighting not just financial waste but operational incompetence.”
So, is the P20 per kilo rice sustainable? Is this fact or fiction?
__________________________________
Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
