CAPIZ – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Capiz, in partnership with the National Food Authority (NFA) Capiz and the Department of Agriculture (DA), officially launched the Benteng Bigas Meron Na or P20 per kilo rice program on Monday, June 30, at the NFA Capiz branch office in Barangay Bolo, Roxas City.
Capiz is now the second province to implement the subsidized rice program, following its initial launch in Bacolod City on June 5, 2025.
As part of the provincial rollout, 60 construction workers from MBM Construction Firm received 10 kilos of rice each at the highly subsidized price of P20 per kilo.
DOLE-Capiz director Engr. Michael Gison explained that the program was implemented through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed with Food Terminal Inc. (FTI). He expressed hope that the initiative will continue in the coming years and eventually expand to benefit other labor sectors.
To support this vision, MBM Construction Firm also signed a separate agreement with DOLE and NFA, committing to regularly avail of the P20 per kilo rice program for their workers on a monthly basis for the next three years.
The “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” program, also referred to as “BBM Na,” aims to make rice more affordable for vulnerable sectors, particularly minimum wage earners. Priced at P20 per kilo, the initiative is part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration’s broader effort to uplift Filipino farmers while easing the burden of food costs on low-income workers./PN
