Marcos highlights PHP20/kg rice program success, calls for coconut tree planting

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the successful implementation of his PHP20 per kilogram rice program during his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday.

The 'Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na' program has been launched across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with more than 94,000 farmers benefiting since April 2024, and Marcos announced its nationwide rollout through hundreds of KADIWA centers.

Rice is sourced from aging but good-quality stocks of the National Food Authority (NFA), purchased at higher prices to ensure fair compensation for local farmers.

Marcos also called on Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act and target planting up to 100 million coconut trees nationwide, while expanding energy access through lifeline rates and promoting renewable energy systems.

The president announced expanded health coverage with zero-balance billing at DOH hospitals, education reform including laptops for all public school teachers, free college and tech-voc scholarships for Listahanan and 4Ps families, and a national push for water impounding systems and infrastructure upgrades.