DA widens reach of P20 rice program

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expanding its flagship food security initiative, “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! Para sa Magsasaka,” to four more areas across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao beginning Wednesday, 20 August.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the P20-per-kilo rice will be sold in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Roxas City, Capiz; Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental; and San Jose, 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,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said.

“Eligible individuals may purchase up to 10 kilos of subsidized rice per month.”

Initial beneficiaries from the fisheries sector include communities in Lucena City, Quezon; Sual, Pangasinan; and Navotas.

Tiu Laurel stressed that the program will continue scaling up in the coming weeks with the goal of reaching as many as 15 million households by next year.

To ensure the expansion, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved an additional P10 billion in funding for 2026. He had earlier ordered the DA to sustain the program until the end of his term in June 2028.

Since its launch on 13 August, the Food Terminal Inc. has sold 70 metric tons of rice sourced from National Food Authority stocks, underscoring the strong demand for the affordable staple.