Benteng Bigas program launched in Antique, Negros Occidental

Minimum wage earners in the provinces of Antique and Negros Occidental now benefit from the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” (BBM) program following its simultaneous rollout on July 4, 2025.

The Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office 6 (DOLE RO6), through its Antique Field Office, officially launched the program at the ANTECO Gym in San Jose de Buenavista.

A total of 105 minimum wage earners from San Jose City Square Traders, Unitop General Merchandise, ANTECO Employees Multipurpose Cooperative, and ATON Marketing were among the first beneficiaries.

DOLE RO6 Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr. oversaw the implementation, emphasizing the government’s commitment to food security by providing quality rice at affordable prices.

Rodriguez also urged private companies to coordinate with DOLE field offices to help more workers access the program.

In Negros Occidental, 100 worker-beneficiaries from Edanvi Enterprise and General Services in Bago City received BBM rice during the launch.

The Antique and Negros Occidental rollout followed earlier implementations in Iloilo and Capiz, expanding the program’s reach to rural minimum wage earners across Western Visayas.

A joint initiative of DOLE, the Department of Agriculture, and the National Food Authority, the BBM program is a flagship project of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The program was initially launched on June 13, 2025, at the Manila Harbor Center, with a simultaneous regional rollout.

For Western Visayas, the regional launch was held at the NFA Building in Jaro, Iloilo City.