DA Expands P20 Rice Program to Benefit Jeepney and Tricycle Drivers
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) will extend the P20-per-kilo rice program to jeepney and tricycle drivers starting September 16, widening the reach of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s flagship initiative, Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!
“We will initially roll out the P20 rice program for tricycle and jeepney drivers on September 16 in five pilot areas,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. announced Friday. “We’re coordinating closely with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), which manages the TODA database.”
Navotas City will be among the first pilot sites, with 4,000 accredited drivers eligible to participate.
Initially launched for solo parents, senior citizens, 4Ps beneficiaries, and persons with disabilities, the P20 rice program has since expanded to minimum wage earners, rice farmers, and fisherfolk. Next in line are DSWD’s Walang Gutom beneficiaries and low-income Department of Education staff.
On Friday, Tiu Laurel led the fisherfolk rollout at the Navotas Fish Port Complex, with simultaneous launches in Sual, Pangasinan, and Lucena, Quezon. Registered fisherfolk may purchase up to 10 kilos of rice monthly by presenting their Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) ID, FishR ID, or a valid QR code from the online system.
The phased expansion is designed to serve vulnerable sectors while also generating vital data on rice consumption, logistics, and supply management. These insights will support the planned nationwide rollout in 2026, which President Marcos envisions will reach 15 million households. He has directed the DA to sustain the P20 rice program until the end of his term in June 2028.
To support transparency and logistics efficiency, the DA will launch the P20 App on October 1. The digital system will track distribution, ensure proper monitoring, and curb potential abuse.
Secretary Tiu Laurel assured that rice supplies are sufficient to sustain the program, citing the upcoming auction of 1.2 million bags of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) in October. These stocks will first be offered to government relief agencies, with the remainder released to the private sector.
The P20 rice program is spearheaded by the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service under Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra and distributed nationwide through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo network, with rice stocks sourced from the NFA and Food Terminal Inc.
“We are testing each rollout step to ensure success as we scale,” Tiu Laurel said. “This is about more than affordability—it’s about building a reliable system that works nationwide.”
NPO News Team | DA Press Office-PR
