President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday announced that the national government will adopt the application-based distribution system used by the Cebu provincial government for the rollout of the “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” program, which sells rice at PHP20 per kilogram.
The decision follows the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) pilot launch of the BBM Na program in Cebu on May 1, part of the Marcos administration’s initiative to ensure affordable rice access nationwide.
During a speech at a campaign rally of the One Cebu Party and “Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas” senatorial slate in Dumanjug, Cebu, Marcos said the Cebu model—including the app used to manage distribution—will be replicated with minor modifications at the national level.
“Cebu already had a working system, including a distribution app. We’re adopting that system for national implementation,” Marcos said.
The system will be used for the rollout of the PHP20/kg rice program through Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) sites in Metro Manila after the May 12 midterm elections.
The program is currently operating in seven KNP sites in Cebu, with over 800,000 families across Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas and the Negros Island Region expected to benefit. In Metro Manila, the program will be accessible to at least 2 million individuals, including Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) members, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents.
Due to the Commission on Elections’ assistance ban from May 2 to 12, the BBM Na rollout in Metro Manila was postponed. The DA said implementation in the National Capital Region and Pangasinan will begin on May 13, covering 19 KNP sites.
Under the program, beneficiaries in Visayas may buy up to 40 kilograms of rice per month, while vulnerable sectors in Metro Manila are limited to 30 kilograms monthly.
A nationwide implementation of the PHP20/kg rice initiative is planned for January 2026.