PBBM's P20 rice will now be regularly available to Clark Freeport workers
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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr's P20-per-kilo rice will now become regularly available to the Clark Freeport minimum wage earners as part of the Benteng Bigas Meron na program.
According to the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), the agency and the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) formalized the initiative on 6 May with a memorandum of agreement to open a rice selling site at Mangan Tamu, ensuring affordable rice for qualified workers inside the zone.
CDC President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera said the partnership responds directly to the everyday realities faced by workers.
"This is the opportunity and the challenge to government, especially that we reach out. We come up with programs that will help especially those who are at bottom portion of the organizational structure," Devanadera said.
FTI Vice President for Operations Atty. Mark Christopher Babor underscored the program’s reach.
"The program is catered para i‑serve yung minimum wage earners, solo parents, PWDs, farmers and fisherfolks and other marginalized na miyembro ng ating community," Babor said.
Workers welcomed the move, citing relief from rising food costs. CDC maintenance worker Edgar Mesina said the program helps stretch daily wages.
"Makakatulong po siya [Benteng Bigas] dahil mura po yung bigas, nakaka‑budget po kami ng maayos sa araw‑araw at nakakatipid po kami," Mesina said.
PDMC utility worker Daniel Espiritu pointed to the convenience of buying rice inside Clark.
"Para po sa akin, malaking tulong na po [ang Benteng Bigas] bilang isang empleyado at minimum wage earner. Malaking bagay na po sa amin ito," Espiritu said.
Each qualified beneficiary may purchase up to 10 kilograms of rice per transaction, subject to monthly allocation limits. On its first day, the site supplied 5,000 kilograms of rice to eligible buyers.
The initiative builds on the gains of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Clark launched in December 2025, which offered affordable rice during market days. Benteng Bigas institutionalizes access under a more structured system, allowing workers to purchase rice regularly without leaving the zone.
