The Department of Agriculture has expanded its “Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” food security program to Samar and Northern Samar, bringing subsidized rice closer to low-income households in Eastern Visayas.
The launch in Samar took place on Dec. 4 in Jiabong, while Northern Samar followed on Dec. 8 in Catarman, each rollout distributing 400 bags of locally sourced rice to 2,000 beneficiaries.
Qualified recipients — including 4Ps families, senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and indigenous groups — were allowed to buy up to 10 kilos of rice at P20 per kilo.
DA-8 Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division chief Francis Rosaroso said the initiative fulfills the administration’s pledge to provide affordable and good-quality rice to Filipino families.
Rosaroso added that the DA aims for all provincial governments in Eastern Visayas to adopt and sustain the P20-per-kilo rice program.
The P20-a-kilo rice scheme is already being implemented in Leyte and Eastern Samar, with Biliran and Southern Leyte preparing to launch their own provincial rollouts.
Beneficiaries in these areas may continue accessing subsidized rice through National Food Authority branches that accept walk-in clients.
Benteng Bigas Meron Na! serves as a flagship initiative of the Marcos administration to make staple food more affordable for economically vulnerable communities.
The rice comes from NFA stocks sourced from local farmers, helping stabilize market prices while assuring producers of fair farm-gate returns.
The program is implemented through public markets, retail hubs, and Kadiwa ng Pangulo sites under a joint effort by the DA, NFA, local governments, and partner groups to strengthen food security nationwide.
