Bus and taxi drivers, along with teachers nationwide, will soon have access to rice at ₱20 per kilo under the government’s “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the expansion comes after the initial rollout of the program for tricycle and jeepney drivers who are members of operators’ and drivers’ associations.
“We are also actively working with other departments of the government para ‘yung mga sektor na gusto nilang i-prioritize ay mabigyan. But we will come up with the list next week,” Tiu Laurel said in an ambush interview.
According to him, the DA expects to fully implement the program for these new sectors in 2026. Bus and taxi drivers may begin benefitting from the subsidy within two weeks, while teachers and non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) are also being considered.
“Dini-determine pa, baka ang susunod malamang mga nasa school system natin sa DepEd. Pina-finalize pa namin ‘yung listahan,” he added.
The DA said it is eyeing October 15 for the program’s expansion to include DepEd personnel. Salary grades of teaching and non-teaching staff are being factored in during deliberations.