ILOILO City – Nearly 42,000 Ilonggo households are set to receive subsidized rice as the Iloilo City Government officially launches the national government’s Bigay Bigas sa Masa Rice Program, backed by P72 million in funding aimed at easing the burden of families grappling with rising food costs.
The distribution begins Monday, June 29, with 1,030 beneficiaries receiving the first batch of assistance during the kickoff ceremony at the La Paz Gymnasium. In all, 41,958 qualified households from various vulnerable sectors across the city are expected to benefit from the program.
Mayor Raisa Treñas said Iloilo City secured one of the country’s larger allocations because the national government based the distribution on population size, allowing thousands of qualified residents to receive assistance.
“This is another concrete manifestation of the commitment of both the national government and the Iloilo City Government to help ease the burden of our families,” Treñas said.
Under the program, each beneficiary will receive 10 kilograms of rice to be distributed in three tranches.
Treñas said the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) identified and validated beneficiaries in accordance with the program’s guidelines to ensure that every barangay in Iloilo City has qualified recipients.
“We are ensuring that all barangays in Iloilo City have beneficiaries, and the identification process was carried out by our CSWDO based on the guidelines of the program,” she said.
The mayor said the initiative demonstrates how close coordination between the national and local governments can deliver immediate assistance to vulnerable sectors.
“This program shows that when the national government and the local government work together, we can provide the needed support to our people more efficiently,” Treñas said.
She added that the city will continue implementing programs aimed at protecting the purchasing power of Ilonggo families amid rising living expenses.
“We will continue to find ways to protect the purchasing power of our families and ensure that no Ilonggo is left behind,” she said.
The Bigay Bigas sa Masa program prioritizes indigent families, minimum wage earners, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, informal settlers, transport workers, internally displaced persons, and other vulnerable sectors. Beneficiaries were selected and validated by the CSWDO and included in the city’s official master list before receiving assistance./PN
