<\/p>\n
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Friday lauded the inclusion of jeepney and tricycle drivers among the beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture\u2019s \u201cBenteng Bigas Meron Na\u201d (BBM Na) program, calling it a timely and welcome relief for workers in the transport sector amid successive fuel price hikes.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Leyte 1st district lawmaker said expanding the program\u2014which provides affordable rice to priority sectors\u2014demonstrates President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.\u2019s compassion and determination to deliver essential government services to those in greatest need.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cApektado ang ating mga jeepney at tricycle driver sa magkakasunod na pagtaas ng presyo ng produktong petrolyo, kaya\u2019t madalas silang nag-aalala kung paano pagkakasyahin ang kanilang kita para sa pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya,\u201d Speaker Romualdez said.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSa tulong ng Department of Agriculture at ng Kadiwa ng Pangulo, makakahinga na nang maluwag ang ating mga tsuper at makakapag-uwi ng mura at de-kalidad na bigas para sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay,\u201d he added.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the launch of the P20 per kilo rice program for fishermen at Navotas Fish Port on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced, in coordination with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon, that jeepney and tricycle drivers would be included as BBM Na beneficiaries.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIto ang klase ng lingkod-bayan sa ilalim ng Marcos administration\u2014mga programang damang-dama ng ating mga kababayan dahil maingat na pinag-isipan at tunay na nakatutulong upang mapagaan ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino,\u201d Romualdez said.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The \u201cBBM Na\u201d program for the transport sector will be launched in five pilot areas across the country on September 16.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Beneficiaries endorsed by the DOTr will be entitled to purchase up to 10 kilos of rice per month through 212 Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets and accredited sites in local government offices.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Currently, the lower-priced rice is available to rice farmers, fisherfolk, minimum wage earners, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development\u2019s 4Ps and Walang Gutom programs.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The DA aims to eventually cover 15 million households\u2014or around 60 million Filipinos\u2014under the P20 rice initiative. Romualdez stressed that including jeepney and tricycle drivers in the program is vital since they are \u201camong the most vulnerable to the constant fluctuations in fuel prices.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The House leader reiterated his earlier pledge to pursue measures that would institutionalize and make the BBM Na program a permanent government initiative.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBagamat patunay ang inisyatibong ito na nakikinig ang Marcos administration sa hinaing ng ating mga kababayan, hindi dapat tumigil ang pagpapalawig ng programang ito sa ating mga tsuper at iba pang sektor. Buo ang ating suporta sa pangarap ng Pangulo na bigyan ng pagkakataon at pag-asa ang ating kapos-palad na kababayan upang maibsan ang gutom at mapagaan ang kanilang buhay,\u201d Romualdez said.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He also urged the DA to further streamline the purchasing process to spare beneficiaries from long queues.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs public servants, we must uphold the dignity of our countrymen by ensuring that government programs are easily accessible and consistently felt by the people they are meant to serve. By extending this program to jeepney and tricycle drivers, we also affirm their vital role as partners in driving our nation\u2019s growth and prosperity,\u201d he said. Romualdez said.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThis is the brand of governance under Bagong Pilipinas\u2014an inclusive, proactive, and responsive government that listens to its people and works tirelessly to meet their most urgent needs,\u201d he added.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Friday lauded the inclusion of jeepney and tricycle drivers among the beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture’s “Benteng Bigas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,17],"tags":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",720,446,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw-300x186.png",300,186,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",640,396,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",640,396,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",720,446,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",720,446,false],"kreeti-slider-full":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",720,446,false],"kreeti-featured":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",720,446,false],"kreeti-medium":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw.png",720,446,false],"kreeti-medium-square":["https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5y4oyjjw-350x350.png",350,350,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"National<\/a> Top News<\/a>","tag_info":"Top News","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16073"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16073"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16075,"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16073\/revisions\/16075"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}