The provincial government of Negros Oriental is ramping up its free rice distribution for qualified beneficiaries from vulnerable sectors, with several municipalities scheduled to hold their respective rollouts this month, an official said Thursday.
Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) chief Hilton Edrial said about 380,000 beneficiaries across the province have been identified to receive 10 kilograms of rice each.
The subsidy is funded through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).
“Based on guidelines, 25 percent of the province’s population from the 2024 census would be targeted to receive the free government rice,” Edrial said, adding that Negros Oriental has a population of about 1.4 million.
Pamplona will hold its distribution today, Oct. 9, with nearly 12,000 beneficiaries identified to receive the rice subsidy.
Sibulan is scheduled on Oct. 12, although the PSWDO and the local government unit (LGU) are still consolidating beneficiary data.
The provincial government already distributed rice to about 5,000 beneficiaries from barangays Poblacion 1 to 7, Talay, and Cantil-e in Dumaguete City during the recent visits of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
Edrial said the province is expected to meet its target as distribution schedules for other LGUs are finalized.
He also clarified that beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should not be included in the LGSF-funded rice subsidy.
Under the latest advisory, however, priority beneficiaries are poor and near-poor households, marginalized sectors, and minimum-wage and middle-income earners.
Edrial said the program aims to prioritize those most in need because LGUs cannot provide free rice to all residents. | PNA
