DOLE Eyes Expanding P20/Kilo Rice Program

After the rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice program for minimum wage earners, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now looking to expand the program to cover up to 500,000 minimum wage earners nationwide by the end of the year.

- By MAYEN JAYMALIN

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said DOLE is working with labor organizations and other eligible groups to enable more "vulnerable and disadvantaged" individuals to avail of the P20 per kilo rice program.

"We had a successful run of the program last Friday, and we will continue this up to the end of the year in order to see any improvements that would make for an even better implementation of the program," Laguesma said in Filipino in a radio interview yesterday.

He said 16,000 minimum wage earners were able to purchase P20 per kilo rice during Friday's rollout. DOLE is targeting 100,000 beneficiaries in July.

Laguesma said based on the initial list from employers, 100,000 minimum wage earners want to take advantage of the program. DOLE is coordinating with employers to ensure the eligibility of beneficiaries.