BBM distributes rice, cash to Capiz residents

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the distribution of rice and cash aid to the vulnerable sector in the province of Capiz on Friday.

In his speech, the President said that the government is taking steps to improve the lives of Filipinos by strengthening the country's agriculture and expanding the benefits provided by other sectors.

The President and the DSWD chief personally handed out the rice assistance and livelihood grants to the program beneficiaries of the Department at the Capiz Gymnasium in Roxas City.

Some 1,000 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program — 679 of whom were also affected by the red tide incident in the province — each received a 25-kilo sack of premium rice.

The distributed rice is still part of the more than 42,000 sacks of rice seized by the Bureau of Customs, which was later donated to the DSWD for distribution to the "poorest of the poor."

"I am happy that our project is able to help many people. This simply means that our leadership is heading in the right direction," said Marcos.

Aside from the rice assistance, Marcos and Gatchalian distributed more than P1.7 million in seed capital funds to six Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations in the province of Capiz.