MANILA, Dec. 1 -- Minimum wage earners in the Clark Freeport Zone can now purchase rice at PHP20 per kilogram as the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues expanding its "Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na" program.

This followed the opening of a new Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) Center inside the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initiative provides crucial support for low-income workers in one of the country's fastest-growing economic hubs.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) Freeport hosts around 151,000 workers, about half of whom are minimum wage earners.

"With approximately 151,000 employees in CDC - where around 50 per...