Minimum wage earners can now take advantage of the government’s ₱20-per-kilo subsidized rice following its rollout in Manila led by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma joined members of Manila Harbor Center Port Services Inc. (MHCPSI) labor union on Friday, June 13, to launch the program at Manila Harbor Center.

“This isn’t just about rice—it is about dignity. It is about proving that the government can deliver for the Filipinos who need it most,” said Laurel.

“We are fulfilling President Marcos’ promise of affordable food—subsidized for now, but ideally self-sustaining in the future through agricultural modernization,” he added.

State-run Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), which is tasked to procure rice from the National Food Authority (NFA), is planning to spend about ₱5 billion for the entire ₱20 rice program this year.

With the inclusion of minimum wage earners, FTI will allocate ₱500 million of the amount to handle additional operations, packaging, and logistics costs.

Laguesma, in a statement, said expanding the program to include minimum wage workers will help push the administration’s goal of supporting the country’s most vulnerable sectors.

He said this will improve the purchasing power of workers, further easing the financial burden of purchasing the staple at higher prices.

Based on the latest data from the DA, over 16,000 workers have already benefited from the program, which was available in 97 establishments nationwide.

At Manila Harbor Center in Tondo, 800 MHCPSI labor union members availed of the ₱20 rice.

The government is planning to expand the initiative to up to 500 participating outlets, targeting nearly 120,000 minimum wage earners.

Dubbed as “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na,” the ₱20 rice program was first launched in Cebu on May 1 and was later made available in Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) stores across the country.

The cheap rice was initially made available for vulnerable sectors such as indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The DA said that the ₱20 rice will be available to low- to lower-middle-income families in the near future.

With the plan to extend until 2028, the program will potentially benefit up to 15 million households or approximately 60 million Filipinos.