By Brian Campued
Following the expansion of the “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” Program to rice farmers and farm workers on Aug. 13, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that Filipino fisherfolk will soon be able to buy rice at P20 per kilo beginning Aug. 29.
According to D.A. Spokesperson, ASec. Arnel de Mesa, the National Food Authority (NFA) will coordinate with the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) to tap fish ports where the fisherfolk can access the affordable rice.
Similar to the buying scheme for rice farmers, eligible fisherfolk can buy up to 10 kilos of rice per month, while other details are yet to be finalized.
About 2.8 million fishers registered under the Registry System for Basic Agriculture (RSBSA) are expected to benefit from the program, based on data from D.A.
“Weekly provincial rollouts will also continue in areas with active NFA depots through the end of the year,” the agency said in a press release on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) reported that a total of 70 metric tons or 70,000 kilos of rice have been sold to farmers and farm workers in the first three days of “BBM Na para sa mga Magsasaka” program.
Farmers can buy P20 per kilo of rice at KADIWA ng Pangulo (KNP) and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) booths set up in NFA warehouses across Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Central Luzon, which will soon be expanded to at least 131 NFA warehouses across the country in the coming months.
An initiative of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure Filipinos have access to affordable rice, the program was also previously launched for senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, and minimum wage earners. (With report from Vel Custodio / PTV News)
-jpv
