Some 1,400 members of the vulnerable sector in this town were able to purchase rice at a subsidized price of PHP29 per kilo through the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa NIA” initiative held at the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) – Davao del Norte Irrigation Management Office (IMO) on Friday.

The program offers the “Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice,” aimed at supporting marginalized groups such as senior citizens, people with disabilities, solo parents, and members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Engineer Brendo Audiencia, operations unit head and contract farming focal person of NIA—Davao del Norte IMO, said 1,400 bags of rice, each weighing 10 kilos, were distributed, with a focus on the vulnerable sector.

“Our priority for now is the vulnerable sector, but we plan to offer another round of PHP29-per-kilo rice to the public in November,” Audiencia said in an interview.

He explained that the government will not profit from the initiative, as its primary goal is to support both consumers and farmers, which is why the contract farming program was established.

However, Audiencia noted that while the province aimed to enroll 150 contract farmers, only 32 farmers had availed of the program so far.

The contract farming program assists farmers who utilize NIA’s irrigation systems by providing PHP50,000 worth of farm inputs. The initiative targets a yield of up to five metric tons of rice per hectare, with an additional compensation of PHP50,000 if the farmers meet the target.

“This is a program with a noble cause. We hope more farmers will participate because it greatly benefits both the farmers and the consumers,” Audiencia added.

One of the beneficiaries, 76-year-old Fedelina Maasin from Barangay La Paz, expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the BBM Rice program.

“Thank you, Mr. President, for providing affordable rice. We hope more programs like this will be implemented to help marginalized people like us,” Maasin said in the local dialect. (PNA)