The government will provide 25 kilograms of rice assistance to all active military and uniformed personnel (MUP) to help them manage socio-economic challenges and support the agriculture sector.
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman commended the president for issuing Administrative Order (AO) No. 26, authorizing the one-time grant of rice assistance to all military and uniformed personnel (MUP).
The rice assistance grant will be funded from the 2024 Contingent Fund under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), according to applicable laws and regulations.
According to Pangandaman, the rice assistance grant for 2024 recognizes the contribution of all MUPs to the country. This assistance aims to help them in “coping with the effects of the current socio-economic challenges, and to also provide economic opportunities for those in the agriculture sector.”
“The responsibility our MUPs carry for the country's security is invaluable, so when we learned how essential rice assistance is for them, especially for those stationed in remote provinces and isolated areas, we recommended this to the President,” Pangandaman said in a Nov. 12 statement.
As stated by the DBM, authorized representatives of MUPs will receive rice assistance at designated National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses from December 2024 to March 2025, following a schedule set by the agency.
The rice assistance will be supplied by local farmers participating in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita program.
“This program is also beneficial because it helps not only the military and uniformed personnel but also our local farmers,” Pangandaman also said.
Specifically, AO No. 26 covers the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under the Department of National Defense, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Philippine Public Safety College under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Likewise, it covers Bureau of Corrections under the Department of Justice (BOJ), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) under the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“The Order takes effect immediately following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation,” the DBM stated.