The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that it will now include fishermen among the beneficiaries of the P20 per kilo rice program starting August 29.
According to the agency, the sale of low-cost rice to fishing communities through fish ports in various regions of the Philippines.
The weekly distribution of low-cost rice will also continue in provinces with active National Food Authority (NFA) depots until the end of the year.
It is worth remembering that the program was initially targeted at senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and the indigent.
Therefore, the DA wants to expand it to include minimum wage earners, beneficiaries of the DSWD Walang Gutom program, farmers, and farmworkers in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., nearly 400,000 families have now benefited from the said program.
He said that currently, there is sufficient supply and funds to finance the said program, with an additional P10 billion in funds proposed for the rice program under the 2026 national budget.
