Manila, Jan. 24 -- Some 15 million households are targeted to benefit from the "Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na!" project this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday.

"On the DA's effort on the PHP20 rice, this year, our target is to increase it to 15 million households or roughly equivalent to 60 million Filipinos who will benefit from it," DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

Some 2.5 million Filipinos benefited from the program last year.

He acknowledged Congress for increasing the DA's budget this year as it will be a help in the implementation of projects.

"The Department will continue to sustain all the efforts and will continue to do so because first of all, we thank ...