Marcos launches P20 per kilo rice program in Bohol
TAGBILARAN CITY—President Marcos on Friday afternoon launched the government’s flagship P20-per-kilo rice program in Bien Unido town in Bohol, giving indigent families and other vulnerable groups access to more affordable rice.
The program, dubbed “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!,” was rolled out at Bien Unido gymnasium, with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Larry Lacson and other local officials also present.
Priority beneficiaries included recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and minimum wage earners.
According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), 535 sacks of rice procured by the NFA from local farmers were allocated for the launch. This allowed 2,700 residents to purchase up to 10 kilos of rice each at P20 per kilo. The Bien Unido outlet is the first in Bohol and the 223rd nationwide.
Alongside the rice rollout, Tiu Laurel also led the turnover of agricultural inputs and equipment to local farmers and fisherfolk.
The DA said the cheap rice program will be expanded on Sept. 16 to include public transport drivers, beginning with 4,000 registered jeepney and tricycle drivers in Navotas City. Talks with the Department of Transportation are ongoing to widen coverage to tens of thousands of drivers nationwide.
Brothers Cornelio Boniel, 70, and Apolinario Boniel, 81, of Barangay Mandawa, said they usually buy their rice at P40 to P50 per kilo and were happy to be able to purchase good quality rice (“dili baho” or not smelly) for half the cost.
Irrigation project
President Marcos, who stayed in Bien Unido for about 30 minutes, had earlier inaugurated the Calunasan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Calape town. The P300-million project, spearheaded by the National Irrigation Administration, features a zoned earthfill dam, canal systems, and support structures designed to irrigate 300 hectares of farmland.
The facility is expected to benefit around 400 Boholano farmers by ensuring a steady water supply, boosting productivity, and lowering irrigation costs.
Mr. Marcos said the project underscores his administration’s commitment to strengthening the agriculture sector and ensuring food security. With improved irrigation, local farmers can expand production, stabilize harvests, and improve their livelihoods.
Aumentado welcomed the project as a vital boost to Calape’s farming communities, noting that reliable water supply is key to sustaining Bohol’s role as a major agricultural producer in Central Visayas.
