THE Department of Agriculture (DA) rolled out the latest phase of its flagship food security initiative, “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! Para sa Magsasaka,” on Wednesday, expanding to four new sites across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said P20-per-kilo rice will be available in Laoag City, Roxas City, Baloy in Cagayan de Oro City, and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.
“By next week, the P20 rice program will also cover fisherfolk and fish port workers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture,” Tiu Laurel said, noting that eligible beneficiaries may purchase up to 10 kilos per month.
Initial fisheries beneficiaries include communities in Lucena City, Sual, and Navotas.
The DA chief said the program will continue expanding in the coming weeks to cover up to 15 million households by 2026, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive.
To support the expansion, Marcos has approved an additional P10 billion for 2026 and earlier instructed the DA to sustain the program until the end of his term in June 2028.
Since its launch on August 13, the Food Terminal Inc. has sold 70 metric tons of rice sourced from National Food Authority stocks, underscoring strong public demand for the affordable staple.
