SABANGAN, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE — Relief reached thousands of families in Sabangan as 1,651 residents from nine barangays received 25 kilograms of rice each through the national government’s Local Government Support Fund-Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU) on August 14.
The first batch of the rice assistance was distributed simultaneously in Lagan, Tambingan, Supang, Data, Poblacion, Losad, Bao-angan, Bun-ayan, and Pingad, giving vulnerable households additional food supplies amid continuing pressure on household budgets.
The distribution was facilitated by the Sabangan Municipal Government, in coordination with the Municipal Agriculture Office, while barangay officials helped organize the distribution at designated venues.
For residents who received the assistance, the rice means one less major expense to shoulder in the coming weeks.
One beneficiary from Barangay Pingad, Asuncio C. Killia-en, expressed gratitude for the assistance, saying the rice would help sustain the family’s daily food needs.
More Sabangan households are still set to receive assistance
The first distribution, however, does not cover all of Sabangan’s beneficiaries yet.
Mayor Henrico B. Boguilis appealed for patience from residents whose barangays have not yet received their allocation. According to the mayor, the remaining rice assistance is expected to be distributed once the second delivery arrives the following week.
Residents and barangay officials were advised to wait for official announcements regarding the next distribution schedule and designated venues.
The development is part of the wider 2026 government push to channel additional resources to local governments through the Local Government Support Fund, with food assistance among the programs intended to directly benefit communities.
Sabangan aid part of a much larger nationwide rice program
Sabangan’s distribution comes as the national government expands its LGSF-backed food assistance initiatives across the country.
At the February 2026 launch of “Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the expanded LGSF would support rice assistance for more than five million Filipino families, with the national framework targeting 60 kilograms of rice per family annually, equivalent to 10 kilograms over six months.
The 2026 LGSF has a total allocation of about P57.87 billion, according to the Department of Budget and Management. The Financial Assistance to Local Government Units component provides funding for a range of community projects and assistance, including programs for families in need.
The PCO has likewise reported that the expanded LGSF is intended to strengthen support for local governments while funding priority areas such as rice assistance, healthcare facilities, disaster preparedness, water systems, electrification, and other local infrastructure.
Other provinces and cities have already begun implementing their own LGSF-funded rice programs.
In Mambajao, Camiguin, for example, 5,096 residents received 10 kilograms of rice during the second tranche of the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program in July. In Baguio City, an LGSF-funded rice assistance program targets 33,939 vulnerable households, with distribution scheduled to continue through October 2026.
These distributions show how the national LGSF allocation is being implemented through local governments, with the exact number of beneficiaries and quantity of rice varying by program and locality.
Why the Sabangan distribution matters
For families struggling to balance food, transportation, education and other daily expenses, a sack of rice can provide immediate relief.
The assistance also illustrates the role of local governments in translating national funding into direct support for residents.
In Sabangan, local officials are now preparing for the next phase of distribution as the remaining rice allocation arrives.
For households that have yet to receive assistance, the next announcement from their barangay or the municipal government could be the one they are waiting for.
The first batch has already reached 1,651 residents. The next delivery could bring the remaining beneficiaries one step closer to receiving their share.
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