The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recently launched the nationwide rollout of an initiative granting minimum wage earners access to P20 per kilo rice—a collaborative effort fulfilling the campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ease the financial burden on vulnerable Filipinos.
“This isn’t just about rice—it is about dignity. It is about proving that the government can deliver for the Filipinos who need it most,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
“It is about proving that the government can deliver for the Filipinos who need it most.”
“We are fulfilling President Marcos’ promise of affordable food—subsidized for now, but ideally self-sustaining in the future through agricultural modernization,” Tiu Laurel added.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma echoed the sentiment, noting that expanding the program to include minimum wage earners will significantly advance the administration’s goal of supporting the country’s most vulnerable sectors.
“Kung sampung kilo ang pwedeng bilhin… mayroon siyang P100 o P200 na pwede niya namang mai-ukol sa iba pang mga bilihin.”
“Yun naman ang gusto ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos Jr., na ang lahat ay makinabang… Napakalaking bagay kung ang isang minimum wage earner ay makakabili rin ng bigas na P20 per kilo. Kung sampung kilo ang pwedeng bilhin… mayroon siyang P100 o P200 na pwede niya namang mai-ukol sa iba pang mga bilihin, at siguro gaganda ang purchasing power po ng ating minimum wage earner,” Laguesma said.
According to DOLE, nearly 120,000 minimum wage earners from more than 500 establishments nationwide will initially benefit from the DA-DOLE partnership, with numbers expected to grow as more companies join the program.
Known as “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!,” the program was first launched in Cebu on May 1, Labor Day. The rice sold under the program is sourced from reserves purchased by the National Food Authority from local farmers. Currently in its pilot phase running through December, the initiative aims to reach up to 14 million Filipinos, particularly vulnerable sectors such as solo parents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and indigents.
The President has ordered the DA to expand and sustain the program through the end of his term in 2028. Congressional leaders have publicly endorsed the initiative, which is expected to benefit as many as 60 million Filipinos.
While critics raise concerns about long-term viability and potential market disruptions, for many low-income workers, the sight of P20 rice is more than a promise kept—it is a daily reprieve and a rare taste of economic justice.
