Palace allows one-time rice aid to uniformed personnel

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has authorized the one-time grant of rice assistance to all members of the military and other uniformed services, citing their key roles in maintaining peace and public safety.

The grant covers the military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippine Public Safety College, Bureau of Corrections, Philippine Coast Guard and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, according to Administrative Order no. 26 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by the authority of Marcos last Nov. 7.

Each beneficiary will get 25 kilos of rice provided they are in active service as of Nov. 30 this year. The distribution of rice to authorized representatives of the beneficiaries will be held from December this year to March 2025 at designated National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses based on a schedule set by the grains agency.

The one-time rice assistance will be sourced from local and participating farmers of the agriculture department’s Kadiwa program. Kadiwa aims to help farmers and small businesses sell their goods and to provide consumers access to lower-priced products.

“The administration recognizes the viral role of MUPs (military and uniformed personnel) in providing internal and external security, promoting peace and order and ensuring public safety through the implementation of various programs and initiatives,” the order read.

According to the order, the agriculture and budget departments recommended the giving of rice assistance to soldiers and other uniformed personnel to recognize their invaluable contributions to the country, help them cope with the effects of current socio-economic challenges and to provide economic opportunities to those in the agriculture sector.

The funding requirement for the rice assistance will be sourced from the contingent fund under the 2024 budget, subject to compliance with relevant laws, rules and regulations.

The agriculture and budget departments, in consultation with the NFA, are expected to come up with guidelines on the rice distribution within 15 days from the effectivity of the order.