Some 15 million households are targeted to benefit from the “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na!” project this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday.

“On the DA’s effort on the PHP20 rice, this year, our target is to increase it to 15 million households or roughly equivalent to 60 million Filipinos who will benefit from it,” DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said at the Saturday News Forum.

Some 2.5 million Filipinos benefited from the program last year.

He acknowledged Congress for increasing the DA’s budget this year as it will be a help in the implementation of projects.

“The Department will continue to sustain all the efforts and will continue to do so because first of all, we thank Congress for the increase [of the budget]. This is the highest level of the DA’s budget this year, PHP295 billion, and this is a big help,” he said.

DA’s budget for 2025 was PHP237 billion.

“A large part of it is focused again on our rice industry. And also, other commodities are also being targeted. Because we can’t live on rice alone,” he said, noting that people also need other food sources, including high value crops and livestock.

De Mesa said the budget will also be utilized to help promote the agricultural sector and to establish agricultural infrastructure, such as irrigation, post-harvest facilities and cold storages. (PNA)