ILOILO – Western Visayas’ rollout of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s flagship Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) P20 rice initiative is gaining traction, with several provinces and cities already initiating procurement and distribution plans to target vulnerable families.
Iloilo province is taking the lead with an initial order of 20,000 bags of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA), which will be distributed specifically to malnourished families, according to Maricris Chua, Acting Economist IV of NFA-Region 6’s Buffer Stock Management Section.
The request was coursed through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist led by Dr. Ildefonso Toledo.
Guimaras also formalized its participation, signing a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Agriculture’s Food Terminal Inc. and will request procurement from the NFA Central Office.
The island province aims to purchase 5,000 bags of rice under the BBM program.
In Negros Occidental, Bacolod City is the most advanced in implementation, having already launched its BBM rice distribution on June 5 after purchasing 5,800 bags of rice from the NFA.
Aklan has confirmed its intent to join the program and has coordinated with the NFA, although procurement details are still being finalized.
Capiz, meanwhile, has yet to submit formal commitments due to the recent local government transition following the midterm elections.
However, NFA Acting Branch Manager Andy Ostan said their branch is ready to support the program and potentially serve as a supply hub for nearby LGUs once implementation begins.
Chua emphasized the quality of rice being issued under the program.
“Subong ya, ang gina isyu namon nga bugas, ginasiguro namon nga maayo ang kalidad. Gina bag-to-bag ina nga pag-check,” she said in a June 17 radio interview.
The BBM P20 rice initiative, which aims to make affordable yet quality rice accessible to low-income households, is being closely coordinated by local governments with the NFA to ensure efficiency, transparency, and sustainability in implementation across the region./PN
