Marcos gov’t rice program benefits 7 million families

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 7 million Filipino families nationwide have benefited from the Marcos government’s rice distribution program, with Malacañang assuring the public that no Filipino goes hungry, especially those in need. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto made the commitment when he led the distribution of free rice to 55,000 families in Oriental Mindoro this week through the Marcos administration’s Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF). “It is important to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that none of our fellow Filipinos go hungry,” Recto said in a statement on Sunday. “The president’s directive is to ensure that government programs reach the people,” he added. Recto said the free rice distribution initiative has already benefited 7 million families nationwide. According to Recto, the initiative also includes purchasing rice from local farmers and providing additional support to the agriculture sector. The rice distribution forms part of the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang initiative being rolled out nationwide, which also includes scholarship assistance, livelihood support, and other social welfare programs aimed at improving residents’ welfare. The nationwide effort is funded through the LGSF, a financial program that assists local government units in implementing various programs and services. The 2026 national budget includes the largest LGSF allocation in history at P57.872 billion. The allocation includes P37.492 billion for the Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (FALGU), half of which is earmarked for the nationwide rice distribution program, under which identified families will receive 10 kilograms of rice every month for six months each year. “If the implementation of this program becomes successful, we will further increase our LGSF in the next two years,” Recto said. Local government units oversee the distribution using their population databases to ensure assistance reaches those who need it most efficiently. “Here in Oriental Mindoro, the implementation of this program has been excellent,” Recto said. “That is why everyone here in the province benefits.” According to Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor, the provincial government is supporting the president’s directive by ensuring the program benefits all communities equally. “Instead of favoring a select few, we are making sure the benefits are distributed equally so everyone can benefit. Every barangay and every municipality has been provided with sufficient funding by the President,” he said. The governor said the provincial government procured rice directly from local farmers in line with Marcos’ directive to prioritize locally produced rice. “The president instructed us to buy palay from our farmers. So instead of purchasing rice from other countries, the provincial government gathered the harvests of our local farmers. All the rice that beneficiaries will receive was harvested here in our province,” Dolor said. /mcm