By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Following the successful launch of the “Benteng Bigas Mayroon Na” program and its triumphant rollout across the archipelago, the Department of Agriculture (D.A.) has made significant strides in sustaining the momentum of the Marcos Jr. administration’s P20-per-kilo rice program.
On Monday, June 16, the D.A. inked separate agreements with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to expand the implementation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s affordable staple food program.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. and Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma formalized the inclusion of minimum wage earners among the beneficiaries of the subsidized rice initiative through a signed Memorandum of Agreement. The agreement aims to ease the financial burden of low-income workers while boosting demand for locally produced rice.
Tiu-Laurel said, “This program is a targeted initiative and will not directly benefit every Filipino, but its ripple effects through stronger consumer spending and economic activity will. When workers can stretch their income and farmers earn better from their harvests, the entire economy benefits.”
Secretary Laguesma lauded the joint initiative and committed to implementing strict targeting measures, guaranteeing that the program reaches the rightful recipients of the pilot run—the country’s minimum wage earners.
He declared, “Naglabas po tayo ng tagubilin sa ating mga regional directors na makipag-ugnayan sa mga kumpanya sa kanilang areas upang matiyak po na talagang eligible o qualified po iyong mga [manggagawang] makikinabang [sa programang “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na”].”
The D.A.-DOLE partnership serves as an alignment of the former’s KADIWA ng Pangulo program with the latter’s Integrated Livelihood Program, thus ensuring that eligible groups—such as labor unions, workers’ associations, and cooperatives—can access livelihood assistance while actively engaging in the agri-based value chains of KADIWA.
Meanwhile, in a parallel move to strengthen local dairy production, Sec. Tiu-Laurel and Ma. Theresa Sawit, National Carabao-based Enterprise Development Coordinator, signed an agreement integrating 48 Dairy Box outlets into the KADIWA network. Dairy Box is a PCC initiative supporting smallholder dairy farmers and entrepreneurs.
Sawit said, “The inclusion of Dairy Box outlets in KADIWA expands market access for dairy producers while promoting locally sourced, nutritious products. This partnership strengthens the link between our farmers and Filipino consumers.”
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