The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to roll out an additional 900 PHP20 Benteng Bigas selling sites prioritizing Capiz, Bukidnon, Cebu, Cotabato, Catanduanes and other high-need areas, targeting a total of 1,800 selling sites nationwide by end of 2026.
The deal covers the procurement of about 1.8 million 50-kilogram sacks of well-milled rice, backed by a PHP3 billion budget, which is part of the PHP10 billion rice for all program. The initial PHP3B allocated to the National Food Authority (NFA) will scale up palay procurement—directly linking affordable rice distribution with stronger support for local farmers.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said the expansion of Benteng Bigas sites followed the directive by President Marcos Jr. to accelerate the nationwide rollout as the government moves to temper the impact on vulnerable households of rising costs driven by the ongoing energy emergency.
Part of the President’s directive is to extend selling hours and opening more distribution outlets across the country, broadening access at a time when higher fuel costs continue to feed into food prices.
As of the first quarter of 2026, the DA has established 932 PHP20-rice selling sites nationwide, composed of KADIWA outlets, NFA warehouses, local government units, national government agencies, and other sellers accredited by Food Terminal Inc. (FTI). As of April 7, 2026, a total of 6.45 million beneficiaries have been serviced across all operating sites.
Eligible beneficiaries include senior citizens, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and farmers and fisherfolk among others.
“We have sufficient food supply, but elevated fuel and logistics costs are pushing market prices to levels that further contain the budgets of many Filipinos,” Tiu Laurel said. “By expanding access to affordable rice and essential goods, we are directly easing that pressure and ensuring vulnerable sectors are protected while we work to stabilize both prices and supply.”
A major boost to the program comes from a newly formalized agreement between FTI and the NFA, securing funding and supply commitments for 2026.
As rice stocks are released into the market, revenues are reinvested into further palay purchases, creating a continuous procurement cycle. This steady turnover also frees up space in NFA warehouses, enabling the agency to buy more from farmers, particularly during peak harvest periods when prices are most vulnerable.
“We assure that this budget will be used to secure better prices for our farmers, especially during the harvest season. In some areas, we have already increased our buying price to as much as PHP30 per kilo to prevent a drop in farmgate palay prices,” said NFA Administrator Larry R. Lacson. “The NFA continues to step in to protect the income of our farmers,” he added.
FTI will serve as procuring entity, while the NFA will supply rice stocks under a negotiated agency-to-agency framework designed to speed up implementation.
“Given the current instability in market prices due to external conflicts, we are seeing a significant increase in buyers turning to our outlets to access quality rice at lower cost,” said FTI CEO Joseph Rudolph C. Lo.
“We are closely coordinating with government partners to manage this demand and are preparing to expand our network further, with a target of reaching 1,800 P20 rice selling sites nationwide by the end of 2026,” he added.
