RICE sold for P20 per kilo is now available in all five towns of Guimaras province. (DA-6)
ILOILO CITY – The P20 per kilo rice program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) dubbed “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” (BBM) was launched in the island-province of Guimaras on Tuesday, July 8.
DA Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro and DA-6 Regional Director Dennis Arpia joined Gov. Maria Lucille Nava and Rep. JC Rahman Nava in the ceremonial distribution at the new Guimaras Provincial Capitol in the capital town of Jordan.
The first batch of beneficiaries were 1,000 low-income families from all five towns – Jordan, Buenavista, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo, and Sibunag.
The provincial government aims to reach the target of 25,000 household across the island-province.
Guimaras Provincial Agriculturist Alvin Nava said the provincial government has an agreement with Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) to procure 5,000 bags of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).
Each family is eligible to buy a maximum of 10 kilos.
The program is under a cost-sharing scheme. The national and provincial governments are shouldering the cost to bring down the retail price to P20 per kilo.