The Department of Agriculture (DA) has expanded its P20 rice program through new partnerships with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), aiming to directly benefit low-income workers and smallholder farmers.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Monday, formally including minimum wage earners as recipients of the subsidized rice initiative. The move seeks to ease the financial strain on workers while increasing demand for locally produced rice.
“This program is a targeted initiative and will not directly benefit every Filipino, but its ripple effects through stronger consumer spending and economic activity will,” Tiu Laurel said.
“When workers can stretch their income and farmers earn better from their harvests, the entire economy benefits.”
Laguesma assured that strict verification will be carried out to ensure the right beneficiaries are reached, saying: “We have instructed our regional directors to engage with companies in their regions to verify that all worker-beneficiaries of the 'Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na' program are indeed eligible and qualified.”
The rice distributed through the program is sourced from National Food Authority (NFA) stocks, with the agency continuing to purchase palay from local farmers at P17 to P30 per kilo.
The DA said the program also helps the NFA free up warehouse space for incoming harvests.
“The more rice we release under this program, the more room we create in NFA warehouses to buy fresh harvests from our farmers,” Tiu Laurel explained.
The DA-DOLE collaboration also links the KADIWA ng Pangulo initiative with DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program, enabling labor unions, cooperatives, and worker groups to receive livelihood support while engaging in agri-value chains.
In a separate deal, the DA also partnered with the Philippine Carabao Center to incorporate 48 Dairy Box outlets into the KADIWA network. These serve as retail hubs for locally produced dairy, further strengthening support for rural-based dairy entrepreneurs.
“The inclusion of Dairy Box outlets in KADIWA expands market access for dairy producers while promoting locally sourced, nutritious products,” said Ma. Theresa Sawit, National Carabao-based Enterprise Development Coordinator.
“This partnership strengthens the link between our farmers and Filipino consumers,” she added.