The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday signed separate agreements with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to expand the implementation of the P20 rice program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
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.
“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.”
“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,” Tiu Laurel explained. “When workers can stretch their income and farmers earn better from their harvests, the entire economy benefits.”
Meanwhile, 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.
“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 labor chief explained.
The rice distributed under the P20 program is sourced from National Food Authority (NFA) stocks. The NFA, tasked with purchasing palay from local farmers at fair prices—currently between P17 and P30 per kilo—will benefit from increased storage capacity as more rice is sold through the program.
“The more rice we release under this program, the more room we create in NFA warehouses to buy fresh harvests from our farmers,” Tiu Laurel explained.
The DA-DOLE partnership also aligns the implementation of the KADIWA ng Pangulo program with DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), clearly defining the roles of each agency. This collaboration ensures 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.
In a parallel move to strengthen local dairy production, the agriculture chief 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.
“The inclusion of Dairy Box outlets in KADIWA expands market access for dairy producers while promoting locally sourced, nutritious products.”
“The inclusion of Dairy Box outlets in KADIWA expands market access for dairy producers while promoting locally sourced, nutritious products,” Sawit said. “This partnership strengthens the link between our farmers and Filipino consumers.”
She added that this integration not only empowers dairy farmers but also uplifts producers across various agricultural sectors by connecting them to national supply and demand channels.
Together, these initiatives reflect the vision of the President of a whole-of-government approach to making affordable staples available to the most vulnerable sectors while supporting Filipino farmers’ profitability and resilience.
