spot_img
Saturday, July 5, 2025
Today's Print

Expanded 20/k rice program starts

The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor and Employment on Friday launched the nationwide rollout of the P20/kilo rice for minimum wage earners.

Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initiative was not just about rice as a commodity.

- Advertisement -

“It’s about dignity. It’s about proving that the government can deliver to the Filipinos who need it most. We are fulfilling President Marcos’ promise of affordable food, subsidized for now, but ideally self-sustaining in the future through agricultural modernization,” he said.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the program’s expansion to include minimum wage earners was a significant step in supporting the nation’s most at-risk sectors.

“That’s what President Bongbong Marcos Jr. wants, for everyone to benefit. It would mean a lot for a minimum wage earner to buy rice at P20 per kilo. If they’re allowed 10 kilos, they could save P100 or P200, which they could use on other essentials. It would greatly help their purchasing power,” he said.

According to DOLE, around 120,000 minimum wage earners from more than 500 establishments nationwide will initially benefit from the DA-DOLE partnership, and the number is expected to grow as more employers join the program.

Dubbed “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na,” the initiative was first launched in Cebu on May 1, Labor Day.

The rice is sourced from the National Food Authority’s (NFA) reserves which are purchased from local farmers.

Now on its pilot phase, the program will run through December, targeting up to 14 million Filipinos, including solo parents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and indigent individuals.

President Marcos has directed the DA to sustain and expand the program through the end of his term in 2028, while lawmakers have also expressed support, with projections that up to 60 million Filipinos could benefit.

Leave a review

JUST IN

spot_imgspot_imgspot_imgspot_img
Popular Categories
Advertisementspot_imgspot_imgspot_imgspot_img