DA, DOLE to include minimum wage earners in P20/kg rice program
Minimum wage earners will soon have access to the government's pilot test of the P20 per kilogram rice initiative, which has been initially rolled out to vulnerable sectors.
This developed after the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) "agreed in principle" to include minimum wage earners in the ongoing pilot run of the subsidized rice program, the DA said in a statement on Tuesday.
Launched early this month, the P20 per kilogram rice initiative under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program only allows members of vulnerable sectors—including indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents to buy NFA rice at P20 per kilogram.
Rice sold in Kadiwa centers is subsidized by the government through the Food Terminal Inc.
For programs where local government units (LGUs) share the subsidy, it will be up to the LGUs to determine eligibility.
The limit is 30 kilograms per household.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had a discussion on the former's proposal for the inclusion of minimum wage earners in the subsidized rice program, according to the DA.
"We had a very good and fruitful discussion in our shared goal of helping our workers, particularly minimum wage earners. By including them in this rice program, we aim to improve their purchasing power," said Laguesma.
"We are looking forward to a very successful implementation of this convergence of the DA and the Department of Labor and Employment," said the Labor chief.
For his part, Tiu Laurel reaffirmed the DA's commitment to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive, emphasizing that strong inter-agency collaboration is essential to sustaining and expanding the impact of this vital social responsibility program.
"This initiative stems from the President's promise to extend the P20 rice program to those who need it most," said the DA chief, adding that "for now, participation is limited to workers from companies that have expressed interest in the pilot program."
The DA said it expects that eligible workers from participating companies would gain access to the P20 rice program next month.
The Agriculture Department is aiming to sustain the program until the end of Marcos' term in June 2028, potentially covering up to 15 million households—or approximately 60 million Filipinos. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
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