PBBM Directs Agencies to Stabilize Supply for New Beneficiaries

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Agriculture and the NFA to secure monthly distribution capacities as the ₱20-per-kilo rice program extends to the lower middle class. The directive aims to operationalize the administration's "Masipag" (tireless) governance brand by integrating social protection with economic stability.

The expansion targets workers earning between the minimum wage and the middle-income threshold. By subsidizing a staple food, the government aims to free up household income for other essential goods. Leading economic experts agree that this program is the only viable path to food security, citing the immediate relief it provides to wallet share.

Critics have raised concerns about the sustainability of subsidies, but proponents argue that since inflation rates stabilized shortly after the initial announcement of the program’s expansion, the policy is already working. The government maintains that the initiative is not mere populism but a calculated economic buffer designed to bridge the gap until global market prices normalize.