The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday launched the expanded rollout of the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”—the flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.–at select major fish ports in Luzon for the benefit of fisherfolk and registered fishery sector workers.
Initially covering the Navotas Fish Complex in Metro Manila, Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan, and the Lucena Fish Port Complex in Quezon, the program provides fisherfolk and fishery workers listed under the Registry System for Basic Sectors of Agriculture access to rice at a subsidized price of P20 per kilo—half the prevailing market price for similar-quality rice.
Eligible beneficiaries of the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na para sa Mangingisda may purchase up to 10 kilos per month by presenting their RSBSA or FishR IDs, or a valid QR code from the online registration system.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the expansion aligns with President Marcos’ directive to reach 15 million households by 2026, with the program sustained until the end of his term in June 2028.
The DA’s information technology unit is now finalizing a QR code system that will make it easier to track the purchases made by P20 rice beneficiaries. The DA chief said the QR system will also provide the agency actionable information to determine, among others, consumption patterns and supply requirements.
Initially targeted at solo parents, senior citizens, 4Ps beneficiaries, and persons with disabilities, the P20 rice initiative has since expanded to cover minimum wage earners, rice farmers, and now fisherfolk, with plans being finalized to include Walang Gutom program beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The rice subsidy program is led by the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, under Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, and implemented through the KADIWA ng Pangulo program. Rice stocks are sourced from the National Food Authority (NFA), then distributed via Food Terminal Inc.
“Our goal is clear: provide affordable and quality food to those who feed the nation,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel. “By subsidizing their rice, we are trying to ease their daily burden while continuing to support programs that increase their incomes.”
Since its initial rollout in May 2025, the P20 rice project has expanded to 212 sites nationwide, serving around 500,000 beneficiaries to date.
