Public school teachers and non-teaching staff will soon gain access to rice priced at PHP20 per kilogram through the Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Friday.
The expansion follows a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the DA and the Department of Education (DepEd), signed during the 2025 Kadiwa ng Pangulo Expo in Manila. The agreement brings the BBM Na program into schools nationwide, widening the reach of the government’s affordable rice initiative.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the partnership will make cheaper rice more accessible, even in remote communities. “These areas of cheaper rice will be more accessible, especially with the help of DepEd and our school systems, ensuring even remote and far-flung areas are served starting January 2026,” he said.
The program is expected to benefit about 800,000 DepEd personnel, including those working in island and upland areas such as Camarines Sur, Romblon, and Camiguin. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara welcomed the expansion, noting how the plan had finally been formalized. “We were just discussing this previously, but now it has been formalized. Soon, Kadiwa stores will be in our schools,” he said.
Under the agreement, DepEd will validate eligible beneficiaries during Kadiwa selling days and coordinate monthly distribution schedules, while the DA will ensure a stable supply of affordable rice and other agricultural products.
The initiative forms part of the DA’s broader nationwide expansion of the Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na program, which aims to serve 15 million households by next year.
