BOAC, Marinduque — More than 14,000 families across Marinduque have received government rice assistance as the province expands efforts to ease food insecurity among vulnerable households.
A total of 14,311 families have received 10 kilograms of rice each under the national government’s Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), according to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) report published August 14, 2026. The distribution was carried out under the supervision of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), with the provincial government led by Governor Melecio J. Go.
Rice aid reaches all six municipalities
The first rollout began on June 16 in Buenavista, where 2,014 families received rice assistance.
The distribution subsequently reached:
- Torrijos: 2,675 families
- Gasan: 2,712 families
- Santa Cruz: 2,065 families
- Mogpog: 1,921 families
- Boac: 2,924 families
The Boac distribution, held from July 28 to 30, completed the first province-wide rollout and brought the total number of beneficiary families to 14,311.
The latest figure represents a significant increase from the 11,387 families reported to have received assistance in five municipalities as of July 15. At that time, Boac’s distribution was still scheduled for the final week of July.
More than 14,000 families—but the program may not end here
The rice distribution is not being described as a one-time intervention.
The Marinduque provincial government said the first rollout is only the beginning, with a second round of assistance expected after an assessment to identify the next batch of beneficiaries.
That possibility is significant because the province already has a substantial rice allocation under its 2026 program.
A 2026 procurement contract posted through the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System provides for 46,575 sacks of commercial rice, with each sack weighing 10 kilograms, for the Rice Distribution Program for indigent families in Marinduque. The contract price is ₱33,766,875, or ₱725 per 10-kilogram sack.
The procurement document identifies the project as part of the LGSF-FA to LGUs / Assistance to Indigent Individuals or Families–Food Assistance (AICS-FA) Rice Distribution Project and states that the rice is intended for qualified poor, near-poor, vulnerable, minimum-wage and other deserving families.
The procurement also provides an important local economic angle: the rice supply was procured through a farmers and fisherfolk enterprise in Marinduque under the Sagip Saka procurement mechanism, meaning the program is designed not only to provide food assistance but also to support agricultural producers.
A lifeline for families facing food pressures
For families struggling to stretch household budgets, 10 kilograms of rice can provide immediate relief from one of the most basic and recurring household expenses.
A farmer from Barangay Bangbangalon in Boac, Lorman Minay, thanked the national government for the assistance, saying it helped ease hunger among families like his.
The program comes as Marinduque continues to serve a population of 226,522, distributed across 218 barangays, based on the 2024 census cited by PIA.
What happens next?
The biggest question now is whether more Marinduque families will be included in the next distribution.
Provincial officials have indicated that another batch is expected following beneficiary assessment. With the 2026 procurement covering tens of thousands of 10-kilogram sacks, the first 14,311-family rollout may be only one part of a larger food-assistance effort.
For now, 14,311 families have received 10 kilograms each—or about 143.11 metric tons of rice distributed during the first rollout. The next assessment will determine who could be included in the succeeding round.
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