THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is fast-tracking the rollout of President Marcos’ Marcos flagship food security program dubbed “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” which sells rice at P20 a kilo to 15 million households nationwide by 2026.
Starting August 29, fisherfolk will be added to the growing list of beneficiaries of the subsidized rice program.
Initially limited to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and indigents, the program has since expanded to cover minimum wage earners, Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Walang Gutom beneficiaries, and farmers and farm workers under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. described the P20-rice project as the DA’s “biggest challenge” in the years ahead.
While nearly 400,000 families are already being served, Laurel said scaling up operations requires “full support” across the agency.
“We have the stocks. We have the budget. What we need now is urgency and unity,” he said, citing a P10-billion increase in rice program funding under the proposed 2026 national budget.
The initiative has drawn strong public support, as well as criticisms, particularly from farmers who questioned why they too were offered discounted rice.
“Some called it insulting. But on the ground, demand told a different story. In just one day, 29 tons were sold to farmers in only two regions,” Laurel said.
Within three days following the rollout of the P20-rice program, at least 70 tons sourced from the National Food Authority had been sold to rice farmers and farm workers, data from Food Terminal Inc. showed.
Weekly provincial rollouts will be sustained in areas with active NFA depots through year-end.
President Marcos has directed the DA to sustain the program until the end of his term in June 2028.
