Latest news with #KadiwangPangulo
GMA Network
20 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA: Most of minimum wage earners in P20/kg rice program from Bicol
Bulk of the 120,000 minimum wage earners who will benefit from the government's P20 per kilogram rice program come from the Bicol Region, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday. In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, DA spokesman Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the identified program beneficiaries are based on a list provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). "Nakipag ugnayan kami sa aming AMAS (Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division) at sabi nila mayroon nang listahang naibigay. 'Yun nga, 120,000, at ang karamihan nasa list na maraming minimum wage earners ay sa Bicol area," De Mesa said. (We have already coordinated with our AMAS (Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division) and they said a list has already been provided. There were 120,000 in the list, most of whom are minimum wage earners in the Bicol area.) The DA and DOLE on Tuesday "agreed in principle" to include minimum wage earners in the ongoing pilot run of the subsidized rice program. As an initiative under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, the P20 per kilogram rice campaign allows members of vulnerable sectors to purchase rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) at the subsidized price. Indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents are among the program beneficiaries. The Food Terminal Inc. and DA regional field offices, De Mesa said, are in charge of distribution. De Mesa said the DA depends on the list provided by DOLE, being the authority with regard to the labor sector. However, De Mesa said the Agriculture Department was open to including workers in the informal sector—such as those who have seasonal jobs—in the micro, small, and medium (MSME) sector. "Puwede po natin isunod 'yung mga ganyan sa pakikipagtulungan sa mga local governments kung 'di sila organized under the system of Department of Labor," De Mesa said. (These workers can be also be among the next beneficiaries, in coordination with local governments if in case they are not organized under the system of the Department of Labor.) Priority areas The next phase for the P20 per kilogram rollout targets areas with high poverty incidence, such as key areas in Mindanao. "Sa susunod na phases natin sa Phase 2, priority talaga diyan 'yung mga lugar na mataas ang poverty incidence. Kagaya ng Zamboanga del Norte nga, almost 38%, ibig sabihin 4 sa 10 tao mahirap sa lugar na iyon. And then sa Basilan, actually sa may BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) area, masyadong marami mahirap doon. 'Yun 'yung mga susunod na priority," De Mesa said. (In our next phases under Phase 2, the government is prioritizing areas where poverty incidence is high. Like in Zamboanga del Norte, where the number is almost 38%—meaning 4 of 10 people in that area are poor. And then in Basilan, actually all of BARMM, there are really many poor there. That is the next priority.) The Agriculture Department is aiming to sustain the program until the end of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos' term in June 2028, potentially covering up to 15 million households—or approximately 60 million Filipinos. Marcos recently assured that his administration would be able to sustain the program, saying "we'll talk in May of 2028" if the intended results were indeed achieved. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Marcos says he can sustain P20 per kilo rice
KUALA LUMPUR - ''Watch me sustain it.'' This was the bold statement made by President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. as regards his administration's P20 per kilo of rice. Speaking to Philippine reporters, Marcos said he was finally able to implement his campaign promise. He said he understands the sentiments of some of the public, saying that his project is only for optics. ''We'll talk in May of 2028, natuloy ba o hindi. We found a way. We found a way to do it. We found a way to do it. We could not do it before. Hindi kaya kasi hindi pa kaya ng sistema. Iba pa 'yung presyo ng bigas noon,'' he added. The President earlier explained why it took time for him to fulfill his campaign promise of P20 per kilo of rice, noting that the government needs to provide assistance first to the local farmers, including the provision of machinery. The Department of Agriculture (DA) initially implemented the sale of rice at P20 per kilo in the Visayas region. According to the DA, Marcos wants it to be implemented across the country in the long run. The second phase, which will commence in July, will be in the Mindanao region. 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. The DA 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. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
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
GMA Network
21-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
DA to expand scope of P20-per-kilo rice, eyes reaching 14M Pinoys by September
The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday said it is set to broaden the scope of the pilot test for the P20-per-kilo rice initiative as it eyes to reach up to 14 million Filipinos by September. In a news release, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the second phase of the pilot program will target Mindanao provinces with high poverty incidence. 'On top of the list for the second phase, which begins in July, is Zamboanga del Norte, with a poverty incidence of 37.7%. Also included are Basilan, Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Davao Oriental, Sorsogon, and Maguindanao del Norte,' Tiu Laurel said. For the third phase, which will begin in September, the program will be expanded to Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Catanduanes, Agusan del Sur, Sarangani, and Dinagat Islands. The expanded pilot test for the P20-per-kilo rice initiative is seen to cover more than 3.3 million households or 14 million Filipinos. The program, initially launched on May 1 as a pilot program in select Visayan areas, has been expanded to include regions in Luzon and Mindanao. The pilot was intended to collect critical data for efficiently operationalizing the program. It is scheduled to run until December. The subsidized rice to be sold is sourced from the National Food Authority (NFA) —which currently has an inventory equivalent to around eight million 50-kilo bags of milled rice. Tiu Laurel said he has directed the NFA to ensure the quality of rice to be distributed, especially to remote and island provinces. Under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, only members of vulnerable sectors—including indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents—are eligible to buy NFA rice at P20 per kilo. The 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 kilos per household. The DA chief said the agency is aiming to sustain the program until the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s term in June 2028, potentially covering up to 15 million households—or approximately 60 million Filipinos. This expansion underscores the government's commitment to making rice more affordable and accessible to all, he said. —NB, GMA Integrated News
