President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the expansion of the Benteng Bigas Meron Na coverage, and the extension of the program to benefit about 60 million Filipinos until the end of his term in 2028, Malacañang announced on Thursday.
President Marcos instructed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to broaden the program’s reach to cover 15 million families, or about 60 million Filipinos, by next year, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
“Ipinag-utos din ng Pangulo sa ahensiya na siguruhing tuluy-tuloy ang rollout ng murang bigas hanggang sa pagtatapos ng kanyang termino sa 2028,” Castro said in a press briefing.
Malacañang announced that 18 warehouses of the National Food Administration (NFA) in Central and Northern Luzon are now selling rice at PhP20 per kilo to farmers in those regions.
Farmers are qualified to buy the PhP20 per kilo rice if they work two hectares or less of rice fields, based on the DA’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). Qualified farmers can purchase up to 10 kilos per month, or up to 50 kilos of Benteng Bigas from this month to December.
Aside from farmers, the Benteng Bigas is also available to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program, senior citizens, persons with disability, solo parents, and minimum wage earners.
Castro said the Marcos administration will sustain its programs against poverty and hunger, such as the Benteng Bigas Meron Na, Walang Gutom Program, and school feeding program, to uplift the lives of the country’s vulnerable sectors.
“Hindi po ito titigilan hanggang sa mas maramdaman po ng mas marami pang Pilipino ang kanilang pag-angat sa buhay,” Castro said. | PND
