The Department of Agriculture (DA) has expanded its flagship food subsidy program, “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!,” to benefit registered fisherfolk and fishery workers, offering rice at P20 per kilo—half the market price—at select fish ports in Luzon.
Initially rolled out at the Navotas Fish Complex, Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan, and Lucena Fish Port Complex in Quezon, the program allows eligible beneficiaries to buy up to 10 kilos of rice per month by presenting their Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) or FishR IDs, or a valid QR code.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the expansion supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s goal of reaching 15 million households by 2026 and sustaining the program until the end of his term in 2028. A new QR code system is being finalized to better monitor purchases and assess demand.
Originally launched in May 2025 for senior citizens, solo parents, 4Ps beneficiaries, and persons with disabilities, the P20 rice initiative has since expanded to include minimum wage earners, rice farmers, and now fisherfolk. Plans are underway to include beneficiaries of the DSWD’s “Walang Gutom” program.
Led by the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service and implemented through the KADIWA ng Pangulo program, rice stocks are sourced from the National Food Authority (NFA) and distributed via Food Terminal Inc. The program now operates at 212 sites nationwide, serving around 500,000 beneficiaries.
