The Philippine government’s flagship rice subsidy initiative has successfully expanded to cover 81 provinces across the country, making milled rice available at just ₱20 per kilogram in the vast majority of the archipelago.
Launched under the program Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!, the initiative is spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) in partnership with National Food Authority (NFA). The goal is to provide more affordable staple rice for vulnerable sectors, including low-income households, farmers, fisherfolk, and minimum wage earners.
According to official announcements:
- The DA says it is scaling up the pilot to reach up to 14 million Filipinos or more than 3.3 million households.
- The program is framed as “sustainable” by the government, with assurances it will not compromise farmer welfare.
- In specific regions, such as Iloilo, the rollout for farmers has begun: small-scale farmers are now eligible to purchase up to 50 kg of rice under the ₱20-per-kilo rate, provided they are registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
This expansion to nearly full provincial coverage marks a major milestone for the program.