President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marks his 68th birthday on Saturday with a symbolic expansion of his flagship food security program, rolling out a one-day nationwide offering of P20-per-kilo rice through the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” (BBM Na!) initiative.

“On Saturday, the P20 per kilo rice will be available to everyone in select Kadiwa sites in a number of cities and provinces,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

Branded as “Handog ng Pangulo”, the special edition opened 100 Kadiwa ng Pangulo sites nationwide to all Filipinos — not just vulnerable sectors — allowing anyone with a valid ID to purchase the subsidized rice.

The DA chief added that the move was intended as Marcos’ “birthday gift to the Filipino people.”

Meanwhile, the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service and Food Terminal Inc. estimated that the event could benefit 88,000 households, or about 352,000 individuals.

From pilot to expansion

Since its pilot launch in Cebu on 2 May, the P20-rice rollout has expanded to at least 223 sites nationwide as of 5 September, according to DA and local government records reviewed by the DAILY TRIBUNE.

Initially restricted to solo parents, indigents, seniors, and persons with disabilities, the program later widened eligibility to include minimum wage earners, farmers and fisherfolk.

Starting next week, it will also cover public transport workers, Department of Education staff, and beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Walang Gutom program.

KADIWA outlets implementing the scheme typically enforce purchase caps of up to 30 kilograms per household per month, though per-event limits are often lower depending on stock. Supply is sourced from government procurement and inventories, including Food Terminal Inc. and the National Food Authority.

Scaling up to 2025 and beyond

President Marcos Jr. has directed the DA to scale up the program to cover 15 million households — or about 60 million Filipinos — by 2025, with a commitment to sustain it through 2028.

Saturday’s nationwide rollout served not only as a birthday gesture but also as a dry run for the logistical challenges of expanding the initiative across the country.

Alongside the rice distribution, DA officials also handed out farm machinery and inputs in several provinces to boost domestic production, with Secretary Tiu Laurel personally overseeing activities in Koronadal, South Cotabato.