Starting September 16, public transport workers will be eligible to buy rice at PHP20 per kilo under the government’s subsidized rice program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced.
Around 57,000 beneficiaries—including bus, jeepney, and tricycle drivers, as well as transport operators—may purchase up to 10 kilos of rice per month at the discounted price.
The rollout will cover five key areas: 17,633 beneficiaries at the Bureau of Animal Industry in Quezon City; 1,001 at the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority in Navotas City; 9,961 in Barangay Pandan, Angeles City, Pampanga; 24,742 at Food Terminal Inc. in Cebu City; and 3,650 in Tagum City.
Designated distribution centers include the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority in Navotas, the Bureau of Animal Industry and Agricultural Development Center in Quezon City, the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division in Cebu, the Food Terminal Inc. warehouse in Angeles, and the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance office in Tagum.
The DA said the program, first launched in the Visayas in April, has since expanded to at least 162 sites nationwide. It was extended to fisherfolk last month before opening to the transport sector.
