THE Department of Labor and Employment in Davao Region (Dole-11) is proposing to add more beneficiaries to the P20/ kilo rice or the Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na program.
Launched last June 13 in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, the P20-per-kilo rice program has since rolled out in Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Norte. Minimum wage earners from selected sectors in the region were able to avail themselves of the affordable rice.
Atty. Randolph Pensoy, regional director of Dole 11, said they had initially targeted 7,000 minimum wage earners in the region to benefit from the affordable rice program by December 2025; however, they will be requesting to add 30,000 minimum wage earners.
“Ang atong initial na target na gihatag sa convergence program by the Department of Agriculture and Dole 7,000 lang gyud minimum wage earners that can receive the BBM, kani siya ang gihatag na proportion sa atoa and gicommit sa rehiyon kaso pwede pa mi maka request nangayo mi proposal na pwede matas-an kay daghan baya nanginahanglan (Under the DA and Dole's convergence program, only 7,000 minimum wage earners were initially allocated BBM rice for our region. That’s the allocated share committed to our region, but we’ve requested an increase through a proposal, as many still need support," Pensoy said.
If approved, the proposal aims to distribute 1,000 sacks per province or field office, including Davao City, each month until this December.
Pensoy said he is hopeful that their program of increasing the beneficiaries will be approved.
During his State of the Nation Address delivered on Monday (July 28), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the BBM rice program launched in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The President, in his Sona, said he would expand the P20/kilo rice program by adding more funding to strengthen the program of the Department of Agriculture.