By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Sustaining the momentum of the government’s affordable rice initiative, the Department of Agriculture (D.A.) opened a new Kadiwa ng Pangulo center at the Clark Special Economic Zone Monday.
This hub commences the rollout of the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! Program to minimum wage earners and other beneficiaries in this freeport identified by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Clark Development Corporation (CDC).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said in a statement, “With approximately 151,000 employees in CDC, where around 50% are minimum-wage earners endorsed by DOLE, this initiative brings essential and affordable food directly to the workforce that keeps this economic hub moving.”
The government’s flagship program, launched in May, delivers affordable, locally produced rice to various marginalized sectors across the country—senior citizens, persons with disabilities, minimum-wage workers, farmers, fisherfolk, and low-income families.
With 423 sites across 81 provinces bringing quality yet budget-friendly food to the citizenry as of press time, the P20/kg rice initiative responds to the inflationary pressures on food items while ensuring that food producers earn fair profits from their products.
The event also marked the turnover of CDC’s state-of-the-art tissue culture laboratory to the D.A. Tiu-Laurel said the facility will enhance the agency’s research capability, improve the quality of planting materials, and support sustainable food production.
It will likewise bolster nurseries, demonstration farms, and local production hubs under the DA-CDC Zero Kilometer Food System initiative, which seeks to widen access to fresh, locally grown produce.
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