MANILA (August 30) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that jeepney and tricycle drivers will soon be part of the beneficiaries of the government’s ₱20 per kilogram rice program, “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na,” beginning September 16.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the expansion was agreed upon with Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco during the program’s launch for fisherfolk at the Navotas Fish Port.
“We have agreed with Sec. Vince and Mayor Tiangco to also include members of TODA and other transport workers under the BBM Na program,” Tiu Laurel said, noting that drivers are highly vulnerable to fuel price fluctuations.
In Navotas alone, about 4,000 transport workers are registered under TODA. The DA said the list of eligible beneficiaries will be provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). A 10-kilogram monthly purchase limit will apply, with rice available at Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets and accredited municipal sites.
Aside from transport workers, Tiu Laurel added that the program will also expand to cover other local farmers outside the rice sector, with the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses soon offering cheaper rice nationwide.
Currently, the ₱20 rice is available to fishermen and fish workers, local rice farmers, minimum wage earners, and vulnerable sectors including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, 4Ps beneficiaries, and those under the Walang Gutom program.
‘BBM Na’ for Fisherfolk
During the launch in Navotas, fisherfolk welcomed the program as a relief from rising costs.
“It’s a huge help because it’s cheap. I can use the savings for other needs,” said Edwin Ungui, 53, a fisherman for three decades.
Vendor Neria Salvador, 62, also thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for fulfilling his campaign promise of affordable rice. “I hope there will be rice like this every day so we won’t struggle with high prices,” she said.
Navotas Mayor Tiangco said around 5,000 fishers and fish workers in the city are registered as beneficiaries, each allowed to buy up to 10 kilograms of rice monthly.
The DA is finalizing a QR code system to monitor purchases efficiently. By 2026, the government targets to cover 15 million households under the BBM Na program, which is currently available in 212 Kadiwa sites nationwide and has benefited about 500,000 individuals.
