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Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
January 24, 2026 | 12:00am
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and officials from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) launch the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” project at the Manila Harbour Centre in Vitas, Tondo, Manila on June 13, 2025.
The Philippine STAR / Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — The government has expanded the rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice program in Aklan, aiming to bring relief to more vulnerable households and communities amid rising food prices.
The expanded rollout is expected to benefit up to 85,000 people including minimum wage earners, farmers, fisherfolk, senior citizens, solo parents and persons with disabilities, according to the Department of Agriculture.
The DA said that members of the transport sector and beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps may also avail themselves of the affordable rice.
First launched last year in Aklan, the rice program has benefited more than 22,000 households through close coordination between the provincial government and the state-owned Food Terminal Inc.
“This is not just about selling rice at P20 per kilo. It is about protecting Filipinos from high food costs while making sure our farmers are paid fairly,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
