These are vital to solving hunger in the country, they noted.
At the Palace Press Briefing on Monday, January 26, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro revealed the latest expansion of the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na program, which is known as the P20 rice initiative.
It was brought to the province of Aklan, where it was rolled out by the Department of Agriculture, which the government official cited as “another step toward strengthening the country’s food and nutrition security.”
According to the DA, led by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., around 85,000 individuals in Aklan are expected to benefit from the expanded distribution of rice priced at P20 per kilo, which is heralded as part of the broader strategy to stabilize food supply while easing the burden of rising commodity prices on Filipino households.
This is particularly targeted towards members of vulnerable sectors, such as low-income families, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and minimum wage earners.
Furthermore, the DA also implemented various agricultural interventions to boost production and livelihoods in Aklan, including the distribution of around P75 million in assistance.
The amount will be covering tractors and harvesters, farm inputs, seeds and fertilizers, crop indemnity checks, composting facilities, renewable energy systems, trading capital, and fishing boats for farmers and fisherfolk.
Meanwhile, Castro also cited the positive result of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on hunger incidence amid the implementation of the Walang Gutom Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Conducted from November 24 to 30, 2025, it showed that hunger incidence dropped to 20.1 percent from 22 percent during the third quarter of last year.
“Ayon sa (DSWD), ang pagbaba ng dami ng mga Pilipinong nakakaranas ng gutom ay malaking tagumpay para sa bayan. Ibig sabihin lang nito ay ramdam na ang mabuting epekto ng social protection programs ng pamahalaan,” Castro claimed.
The DSWD also previously stated that it will further strengthen the Walang Gutom Program by expanding its coverage to reach 300,000 beneficiaries in 2026.
As for the poverty and food poverty self-rating, the Tugon ng Masa survey by OCTA Research saw a decline in the last part of 2025.
Conducted from December 3 to 11, 2025, the Tugon ng Masa OCTA Research survey showed that self-rated poverty declined to 37 percent, from 54 percent during the third quarter of 2025.
Castro also said that according to OCTA, the 17-percent drop was the largest decrease in self-rated poverty in just three months. Regarding food poverty incidence, it also dropped to 30 percent from the previous 49 percent.