DA, DOLE include min wage earners in PHP20/kg rice program

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) agreed to include minimum wage earners in the PHP20 per kilogram rice program called 'Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na', with an initial 120,000 beneficiaries selected for the pilot phase.

Launched earlier this month, the initiative aims to provide subsidized rice to vulnerable sectors and now includes minimum wage earners employed by companies that have expressed interest in participating.

Starting in June, these workers will be eligible to buy up to 10 kilograms of subsidized rice per month through Kadiwa ng Pangulo sites in Metro Manila and several regions, with plans to expand the program further.

The DA aims to sustain the initiative until the end of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s term, potentially benefiting around 60 million Filipinos, while Food Terminal, Inc. has a PHP500 million budget for logistics costs.

DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa emphasized that agencies are still studying how the subsidized rice will be distributed but assured the public it would be done in the 'best and most efficient' way.

The DA is considering deliveries to beneficiaries' workplaces as part of the distribution strategy, while also working on a mechanism to prevent duplication of beneficiaries who may qualify under multiple categories.