Marcos launches P20 per kilo rice program in Bohol
President Marcos Jr. inaugurates the Calunasan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Calape, Bohol, on Friday, September 5, 2025. The project will irrigate 300 hectares, boost farm yields, and benefit 400 farmers. (Photo courtesy of NIA-7)
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday afternoon launched the government’s flagship P20-per-kilo rice program in Bien Unido town, giving indigent families and other vulnerable groups access to more affordable rice.
The program, dubbed “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”, was formally rolled out at the Bien Unido gymnasium in the presence of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Larry Lacson, and other local officials.
Priority beneficiaries include 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, Laurel also led the turnover of agricultural inputs and equipment to local farmers and fisherfolk, highlighting the DA’s push to boost production while ensuring consumers’ access to affordable food staples.
The DA said the program will be expanded on September 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 the coverage to tens of thousands of drivers nationwide.
President Marcos stayed in Bien Unido for about 30 minutes.
READ: Marcos optimistic gov’t can reduce subsidy for P20 per kilo rice
Brothers Cornelio Boniel, 70, and Apolinario Boniel, 81, of Barangay Mandawa, were among those who availed themselves of the subsidized rice.
Earlier in the day, Marcos also 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.
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 a reliable water supply is key to sustaining Bohol’s role as a major agricultural producer in Central Visayas./coa
