Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. convened the department heads under the Civil Defense Cluster to discuss and prepare for the implementation of the P20-per-kilo rice program which will be piloted in the Visayan region.
Department of Agriculture VI Regional Director Dennis Arpia later on joined the meeting.
Governor Defensor is now preparing his executive order relative to the integration of the rice program in the existing programs of the Iloilo provincial government.
The rice program was tackled during a closed-door meeting of the Visayan governors, including Governor Defensor, with Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on April 23, 2025 at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.