Minimum wage earners will soon have access to the government’s ₱20-per-kilo rice, following an “in principle” agreement between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
This development marks the inclusion of minimum wage workers in the ongoing pilot test of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo Program, which offers subsidized National Food Authority (NFA) rice.
Previously, the program was limited to vulnerable sectors, including indigent families, senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and solo parents.
According to the DA, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. agreed on the proposal to expand the coverage to workers earning minimum wage.
Laguesma emphasized that the initiative aims to “strengthen the purchasing power of workers” amid rising living costs.
Tiu Laurel added that the move follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to extend the benefits of the ₱20 rice program to a broader range of Filipinos.
The DA noted that, for now, only employees from companies that have expressed interest in joining the pilot test will be eligible for the subsidized rice.
These workers are expected to start benefiting from the program as early as next month.
The DA targets to sustain the program until the end of President Marcos Jr.’s term in June 2028, potentially benefiting up to 15 million households or approximately 60 million Filipinos.