News Details

P20 Rice Program Expanded to Transport Sector, Easing Burden on Jeepney and Tricycle Drivers

NPO

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August 31, 2025

MANILA – House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Saturday hailed the inclusion of jeepney and tricycle drivers as beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture’s “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” (BBM Na) program, calling it a timely relief amid successive fuel price hikes.

He said the expansion of the program, which provides affordable rice to priority sectors, reflects President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s compassion and commitment to ensuring essential government services reach those most in need.

“Sa tulong ng Department of Agriculture at ng Kadiwa ng Pangulo, makakahinga na nang maluwag ang ating mga tsuper at makakapag-uwi ng mura at de-kalidad na bigas para sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay (With the help of the DA and the Kadiwa ng Pangulo, our drivers can now breathe a sigh of relief and bring home affordable, quality rice for their loved ones),” Romualdez said in a statement.

He stressed that jeepney and tricycle drivers are among the most vulnerable to fuel price fluctuations, making their inclusion vital. Romualdez also reiterated his commitment to pursue measures that would institutionalize the BBM Na program as a permanent government initiative.

The “BBM Na” program for the transport sector will roll out on Sept. 16 in five pilot areas nationwide. Beneficiaries endorsed by the Department of Transportation will be able to buy up to 10 kilograms of rice per month at 212 Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets and other accredited sites in local government offices.

Currently, the program benefits farmers, fisherfolk, minimum wage earners, senior citizens, PWDs, solo parents, and 4Ps and Walang Gutom households. The Department of Agriculture targets to eventually cover 15 million households, or about 60 million Filipinos, under the ₱20 rice initiative.

NPO News Team I PNA-PR