The Department of Agriculture (DA) has expanded its P20-per-kilo rice program in La Union, reaching more households while opening additional outlets for local palay suppliers.

The province-wide rollout kicked off Friday at Plaza de Santa Lucia in Aringay, where 200 sacks of rice were offered at P20 per kilo under the Marcos administration’s Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! initiative. Around 1,000 residents were served on opening day.

Governor Mario Eduardo Ortega’s office secured an initial 500 sacks from Food Terminal Inc. Of these, 300 sacks will be distributed in phases: 100 sacks each in Balaoan on 25 February, Bacnotan on 27 February, and the City of San Fernando on 2 March — each stop expected to reach roughly 500 beneficiaries.

The subsidy targets vulnerable groups, including senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries. Farmers registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, accredited fisherfolk, transport workers, teachers, and minimum wage earners are also eligible.

Regional executive director Didel Libao, who led the DA team in La Union, said the program reflects President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to lowering food costs for Filipino families.

“Every kilo of P20 rice bought by consumers is not just savings — it’s a hand extended to help lift millions of rice farmers out of poverty,” DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

Malacañang has instructed the Agriculture department to expand the program to cover as many as 60 million Filipinos, including lower middle-income households, through June 2028.

The La Union launch coincided with Aldaw ti Umili, a provincial convergence of frontline services led by the Provincial Health Office, where multiple government agencies offered health and social assistance in one venue.

The event also featured a KADIWA ng Pangulo market, organized with the DA Regional Field Office I and the Aringay local government. Ten local producers sold agricultural goods directly to consumers.