A farmer purchases rice for P20 per kg at the National Food Authority warehouse in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on Aug. 20, 2025 through the national government’s “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” program. The Provincial Agriculture Office in Ilocos Norte said the affordable rice will be available at the Kadiwa ng Pangulo in front of the Capitol building on Saturday (Sept. 13), the 68th birthday of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PNA file photo by Leilanie Adriano)
LAOAG CITY – A total of 865 minimum wage earners in this Ilocos Norte capital city have availed of the P20/kg rice under the government’s “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” program.
“We prepared 173 sacks of rice for our (minimum wage) employees,” Janelyn Martin, head of the Department of Labor and Employment – Ilocos Norte (DOLE-1), said in an interview on Friday.
Under the BBM Na program, each employee could avail of a maximum of 10 kilos of rice.
Martin said DOLE-1 partnered with the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Food Authority, Food Terminal Inc. and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry chapters in Ilocos Norte and Laoag City to implement the program.
DOLE-1 is aming to provide affordable rice to at least 20,372 minimum wage earners in the province this year.
Aside from minimum wage workers of private companies, farmers and fisherfolk in the province can also avail of PHP20/kg rice.
“Those who wish to buy can register in our office. Just bring your identification cards,” NFA Ilocos Norte branch manager Jonathan Corpuz said in a separate interview.
He assured they have sufficient stock for the program.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Agriculture Office in Ilocos Norte said the PHP20/kg rice will be available at the Kadiwa ng Pangulo in front of the capitol on Saturday, the 68th birthday of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The DA earlier announced that the cheaper rice will be accessible in 100 select Kadiwa sites and accredited stores nationwide.
These sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., in a statement, said to celebrate Marcos’ birthday, even Filipinos who are not part of the vulnerable sector may benefit from the program on Saturday. (PNA)