Malacañang said more Filipinos are set to benefit from cheaper rice as President Marcos led the public rollout of the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” initiative at the Zapote Public Market in Cavite, marking a major expansion of the government’s P20-rice program to public markets across the country.

In a press briefing, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the rollout will no longer be limited to select sectors but will be available to the general public through participating public markets.

“Ngayon naman ay sisimulan na ang rice rollout sa mga public market para mas marami pang kababayan natin ang makinabang dito (Now we will rollout the program to public markets so many people will benefit from it),” she said on Wednesday, July 2.

“Hangad ng gobyerno na magkaroon ng sapat na pagkain sa hapagkainan ng bawat Pilipino (The government wants the people to have enough food on their table),” she added.

Initially piloted in Visayas and selected Kadiwa centers in May, the program now includes public markets like Zapote-Bacoor, where 500 sacks of rice were delivered for 2,500 residents to purchase 10 kilos each at P20 per kilo.

The rice, procured by the National Food Authority (NFA) from local farmers, is sold through the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) and the Kadiwa ng Pangulo network, ensuring both affordability for consumers and sustainability for producers.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the program has already reached more than 105,000 families between May 13 and June 30, distributing over 804,000 kilos of rice across Luzon and the Visayas. Beneficiaries include senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, indigent families, and minimum wage earners.

With the Zapote-Bacoor Public Market added as a regular selling point, the administration is eyeing 15 million beneficiaries by next year. The DA is also considering the site a model for future rollout due to its strong community engagement and efficient local coordination.

‘Whole-of-government’ approach

Castro said President Marcos has directed national agencies to expand and strengthen the program’s reach. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide data on vulnerable communities, while the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will monitor LGU reporting and compliance.

Despite the program’s expansion, President Marcos assured the public that safeguards are in place.

“Sinisiguro ng Pangulo na hindi bababa ang kita ng ating mga magsasaka dahil may pondo ang gobyerno para dito (The President assures our farmers that they will not suffer losses as the government has funds for this),” Castro said.

She added that farmers now have the option to directly sell their produce to markets, minimizing post-harvest losses and cutting out middlemen.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. added that every sack of rice sold removes two bags of palay from NFA warehouses, which are then replenished with grain purchased from farmers, creating a cycle that supports local producers while easing the burden on consumers.