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In a strong show of commitment to security through food affordability, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 8 (DA RFO8), together with the National Food Authority and in partnership with the Provincial Government of Eastern Samar, launched the Benteng Bigas Meron Na sa Este last December 15, 2025, at the Provincial Capitol Gym, Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

Consumers had a purchase limit of five (5) kilos per family to ensure fair distribution. Unlike the other launching of P20, this leg was open to all consumers other than the vulnerable sectors. Around 2,000 families benefited from the said program.

In his message, Provincial Agriculturist Virgilio Capon expressed his gratitude to the interventions and programs that are implemented in the province. β€œπ΄π‘› πΈπ‘Žπ‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘› π‘†π‘Žπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘Ÿ 𝑖𝑛 π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘– π‘›π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘€π‘Žπ‘‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘› π‘šπ‘Žπ‘”-π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘›π‘Ž π‘šπ‘”π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘šπ‘Ž π‘‘π‘–π‘˜π‘Žπ‘›π‘” β„Žπ‘Ž π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™ π‘”π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘›π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘– π‘›π‘Ž β„Žπ‘Ž π·π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π΄π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’. 𝐴𝑛 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘š π‘›π‘Ž 𝐡𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑔 π΅π‘–π‘”π‘Žπ‘ , π‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘› π‘π‘Ž π‘ π‘Ž 𝐸𝑠𝑑𝑒, π‘šπ‘’π‘Žπ‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘šπ‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘‘ π‘›π‘Ž π‘˜π‘–π‘‘π‘Ž β„Žπ‘–π‘› β„Žπ‘–π‘”β„Ž π‘žπ‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘¦ π‘›π‘Ž π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’ β„Žπ‘Ž π‘‘π‘Žπ‘” 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒 π‘π‘’π‘ π‘œπ‘  (𝑃20) π‘™π‘Ž π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘¦π‘œ. 𝐾𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑖𝑛 π‘Žπ‘› π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘™π‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘ƒπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘›π‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘™ π΄π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘– π‘™π‘Ž β„Žπ‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘”π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘–π‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘”π‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘”π‘¦π‘Ž π‘˜π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘– π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘– π‘”π‘–β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘›π‘œ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘Ž π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘› π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π‘–π‘›π‘ π‘¦π‘Ž π‘˜π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘€π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘¦ π‘‘π‘Ž π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘šπ‘Žπ‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘”π‘¦π‘Ž π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘  π‘˜π‘’π‘› π‘€π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘¦ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘”-π‘’π‘šπ‘Ž π‘›π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘˜π‘’π‘› π‘‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘– π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘œπ‘› π‘šπ‘Žπ‘–π‘šπ‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘’ π‘Žπ‘› π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘”-π‘’π‘šπ‘Ž β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘¦,” he said.

[Eastern Samar always receives good programs from national government, especially from Department of Agriculture. The launching of the Benteng Bigas program in Eastern Samar means that we can now buy quality rice at twenty pesos (P20) kilo. The role of the Provincial Agriculture is not only to facilitate the selling of the rice but also to assist and monitor the rice production in our province, mainly because we won’t have rice to sell if the rice production is low.]

Meanwhile, Amelia Capones, one of the consumers, expressed her appreciation for the inclusive nature of the initiative. β€œπ‘π‘Žπ‘”π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘Žπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ π‘›π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘¦π‘‘π‘Ž π‘›π‘Ž π‘ π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘– π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘¦π‘œ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘  π‘›π‘”π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘–π‘” π‘›π‘Ž β„Žπ‘Ž π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘–π‘™π‘¦π‘Ž. 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 π‘”π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘  π‘›π‘Ž, π‘˜π‘Žπ‘¦ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘’π‘›π‘Ž π‘›π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘” π‘ π‘–π‘›π‘”π‘˜π‘€π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Ž π‘π‘’π‘ π‘œπ‘  (𝑃50) π‘Žπ‘› π‘˜π‘–π‘™π‘œ, π‘¦π‘Žπ‘›π‘Ž π‘‘π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ π‘›π‘Ž 𝑖𝑛𝑖 π‘›π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘–π‘” π‘›π‘”π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘¦-π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Ž π‘‘π‘Žπ‘” 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒 π‘π‘’π‘ π‘œπ‘  (𝑃20) π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘ . π‘π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘˜π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘¦π‘Žπ‘” π‘˜π‘œ π‘”π‘–β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘› π‘›π‘Ž π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦π‘œπ‘› π‘™π‘Ž π‘”π‘–β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘› 𝑖𝑛𝑖 π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘šπ‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘–π‘” β„Žπ‘Ž π‘šπ‘”π‘Ž π‘π‘œπ‘π‘Ÿπ‘’,” she said.

[I am grateful that there is now P20/kilo rice which can help our family. This reduces our food expenses, because before I could buy a kilo of rice for around P50, now it really helps that we can get rice for P20. I wish for this program to continue so it can help the marginalized.]