The Department of Agriculture (DA) is counting on a P10-billion budget increase in 2026 to accelerate the implementation of its flagship “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program, which aims to deliver rice at P20 per kilo to 15 million households by 2026.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initiative, regarded as the agency’s “biggest challenge,” will rely heavily on sustained funding support to scale up from its current reach of nearly 400,000 families.

“We have the stocks. We have the budget. What we need now is urgency and unity,” Tiu Laurel stressed, noting that allocations for the rice program were significantly expanded in the proposed 2026 national budget.

The program’s expansion has been swift. Initially limited to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and indigent households, eligibility was widened to cover minimum wage earners, beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Walang Gutom initiative, as well as farmers and farm workers listed under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.

On 29 August, fisherfolk will also be added to the list of beneficiaries, with distribution points to open at major fish ports nationwide. Weekly rollouts will continue in provinces with active National Food Authority depots until year-end.

Despite criticism from some farmers questioning their inclusion as consumers of subsidized rice, demand has proven strong. The DA reported that within three days of launching Benteng Bigas, Meron Na para sa mga Magsasaka, about 70 metric tons of rice were purchased by farmers and farm workers.

The subsidized rice program, a priority directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is set to run until the end of his term in 2028. For now, the DA’s ability to balance public demand with sustainable financing will be key to the initiative’s long-term viability.