By Marita Moaje

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it expects more than 85,000 individuals to benefit from the expansion of the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” (BBM Na) in Aklan province.

In a news release Friday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the expansion is aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to keep rice affordable for vulnerable sectors while maintaining fair farmgate prices for local farmers.

“This is not just about selling rice at PHP20 per kilo—it’s about protecting Filipino families from high food costs while making sure our farmers are paid fairly,” Tiu Laurel said.

“When consumers can buy affordable rice, and farmers have a stable market for their palay, that’s when the system works,” he added.

Among the expected beneficiaries of the program are minimum wage earners, farmers and fisherfolk, senior citizens, solo parents, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) members, persons with disabilities, and transport sector workers.

The program, Tiu Laurel said, is strategically designed to support the entire rice value chain.

He said that under the expanded rollout, the National Food Authority (NFA) will release more affordable rice by drawing down its buffer stocks, allowing it to procure more palay from local farmers at fair and just prices, particularly as the harvest season approaches.

“This approach helps stabilize rice prices while ensuring farmers have a reliable buyer for their produce,” he said.

Meanwhile, alongside the expanded rice programs, the DA also rolled out a comprehensive agricultural assistance package worth around PHP75 million to boost productivity and livelihoods in Aklan.

The assistance includes four-wheel drive tractors, rice combine harvesters, farm inputs, certified seeds and fertilizers, crop insurance indemnity checks, composting facilities, hybrid solar renewable energy systems for multiplier farms, trading capital for Kadiwa outlets, and 20-footer fiberglass fishing boats for fisherfolk.

DA Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra underscored the importance of close coordination with local governments in sustaining the initiative.

She said the DA continues to strengthen the PHP20 per kg. rice program in collaboration with provincial LGUs.

“Layunin naming ma-institutionalize ito upang tuloy-tuloy at sistematiko ang pagdadala ng abot-kayang bigas sa mamamayan, habang tinitiyak na patas ang balik-benepisyo sa ating mga magsasaka (Our goal is to institutionalize this so that the delivery of affordable rice to the people is continuous and systematic, while ensuring fair returns for our farmers),” she said.

The DA said the BBM Na program was initially launched in Aklan in 2025, reaching more than 22,000 households through close coordination between the DA–Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) and the provincial government.

With the expanded implementation, the DA expects to cover more communities throughout the province. (PNA)

Published Date: January 23, 2026