MANILA, June 13 -- Minimum wage earners on Friday expressed delight as they availed of the PHP20 per kilogram of "high-quality" National Food Authority (NFA) rice during the first day of the simultaneous program expansion of the "Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na" nationwide.

This is part of the government's campaign to make rice affordable and accessible to more Filipinos in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Janno Bargola, 25, a father and a night-shift worker in Manila Harbor Center, said he made sure to access the cheaper rice even though the official launching was outside his duty hours.

"Tulad ko pong tatay, pamilyadong tao po ako, malaking bagay na po sa akin iyon. Iyong bigas na ngayon ay nagmura na, iyong...