Manila, Aug. 13 -- Around 5 million rice farmers and workers are expected to benefit from the government's PHP20 per kilogram rice program "Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na," the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.

The DA launched the program for local farmers at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in Balagtas, Bulacan, a crucial move that would help Filipino farmers through subsidized rice and ease production costs.

"Based on Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) data, around five million rice farmers and workers will qualify once this program is fully rolled out," Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a press statement.

Each farmer will be allowed to purchase up to 10 kilograms per m...