Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed that Cebu City will continue implementing the "Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na" program in partnership with the national government. The national government purchases the rice, while the city government assists in packaging and distribution to qualified beneficiaries.
"The national government buys the rice. Our role is mainly to help with the packaging and inform qualified beneficiaries when and where they can purchase it," Archival explained. City employees assist in packaging when needed, even though national government workers also perform this task, especially when the city has no available personnel.
Eligible beneficiaries and payment process
Senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), fishermen, and other qualified beneficiaries will be notified through their barangays about distribution schedules. Payments for subsidized rice are made directly to the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI).
"The beneficiaries pay directly to FTI. We are not involved in collecting the payments," Archival stated.
The mayor emphasized the continuation of the P20 rice initiative during his State of the City Address, highlighting food security as one of the main pillars of his administration's development roadmap, Cebu City 2035.
Free rice under LGSF
Archival also announced that Cebu City will receive P145 million under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) from the national government to provide free rice assistance to low-income families. Unlike the P20 rice initiative, the rice distributed through LGSF will be given for free.
"This is a program of the national government. The funding is given to the local government, and the rice will be distributed for free," Archival said.
The city government will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to identify the poorest and most affected families who will receive the assistance. Based on initial estimates, nearly 60,000 families are expected to benefit from the program.
