Manila: Malaca±ang on Thursday pushed back against Vice President Sara Duterte's criticisms of the rollout of PHP20-per-kg. rice in the Visayas, accusing her of sowing division and undermining the administration's efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, speaking at a press briefing in Malaca±ang, defended the program, a key campaign promise of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and called out Duterte's remarks as an example of 'crab mentality' at work.

According to Philippines News Agency, Castro emphasized the importance of unity in achieving national goals and criticized the Vice President's comments as counterproductive. 'Ang tunay na lider - at tunay na Pilipino - ay dapat sumusuporta sa kapwa Pilipino, lalung-lalo na sa pinuno ng bansa (A true leader - and a true Filipino - should support fellow Filipinos, especially the leader of the country),' Castro stated. She further urged, ''Wag sanang pairalin ang crab mentality at huwag maging anay sa lipunan (Let's not allow crab mentality to prevail, and let's not be termites in society).'

The Palace official questioned why critics remain negative despite the realization of the President's aspiration to provide affordable rice to Filipinos. 'Magkaisa tayo para matupad ang mga aspirasyon para sa taumbayan (Let's unite so that we can fulfill the aspirations for our people),' Castro said.

On Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture announced the rollout of the PHP20/kg. rice in Visayas, following a closed-door meeting in Cebu between President Marcos and 12 governors from the region. Under this program, indigent Filipino families are eligible to purchase up to 10 kg of the PHP20/kg. rice weekly, or a total of 40 kg monthly. The program is expected to expand nationwide once logistical challenges are resolved, as stated by Malaca±ang.