Expanding rice assistance: Dole-Davao aims to include additional 20 Pesos per beneficiary
The Department of Labor and Employment in Davao Region (Dole-11) has proposed an expansion of the P20-per-kilo rice program, known as Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na, to include an additional 30,000 minimum wage earners.
Initially, the program targeted 7,000 minimum wage earners in the region, aiming to benefit them by December 2025. However, with the new proposal, the number of beneficiaries could potentially double.
The P20-per-kilo rice program, launched in June 2021 in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, has been rolled out in four provinces: Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, and Davao City. If approved, the proposal aims to distribute 1,000 sacks of rice per province or field office, including Davao City, each month until December.
Atty. Randolph Pensoy, regional director of Dole 11, stated that they will be requesting an increase to add 30,000 more minimum wage earners. Pensoy is hopeful that the proposal will be approved.
The BBM rice program provides affordable rice to minimum wage earners from selected sectors in the Davao Region. The government plans to sustain this subsidized rice sale until the end of the Marcos administration in 2028, targeting up to 15 million households nationwide.
The program aligns with the national expansion plan of the initiative, which started as a pilot in May 2025 and is set for nationwide rollout. While specific data for the Davao Region is not separately detailed in the sources, the region is included in the nationwide expansion strategy.
Rice supply for the program comes from the National Food Authority’s (NFA) buffer stock, sourced from local farmers. This initiative also supports local production and aims to enhance farmers’ income.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the BBM rice program during his State of the Nation Address and announced plans to expand the program by adding more funding to strengthen the Department of Agriculture's program.
The government's recent suspension of rice importation starting September 2025 suggests a further focus on supporting local rice production, which may impact program supply and distribution, including in Davao.
The BBM rice program has already been launched in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, making it a nationwide initiative. The program allows each beneficiary to purchase up to 10 kilos of rice per month. The Department of Agriculture (DA) and local governments identify qualified beneficiaries, similar to the implementation in other regions like Guimaras.
[1] Rice subsidy program for minimum wage earners expands in Davao Region
[2] Marcos administration eyes 15 million households for P20-per-kilo rice subsidy
[3] Gov't to sustain P20 rice sale until 2028
[4] Gov't suspends rice importation starting September
- The P20-per-kilo rice program, initially targeting 7,000 minimum wage earners in Davao Region, aims to potentially double the number of beneficiaries, reaching 30,000, following a proposal by the Department of Labor and Employment in Davao Region (Dole-11).
- The Marcos administration aims to include up to 15 million households nationwide in the ongoing P20-per-kilo rice program, which has already been launched in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, making it a nationwide initiative.
- In an effort to support local rice production, the government has suspended rice importation starting September 2025, potentially impacting the program's supply and distribution, including in Davao Region.
