TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — Rice assistance under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Bawat Bayan Makikinabang (BBM) / Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program has reached families in Merida, Leyte, bringing the national government’s food assistance initiative directly to communities across the municipality.
The fourth-class municipality in Leyte’s fourth district has begun distributing rice to qualified beneficiaries through its Food Assistance–Rice Distribution Project, funded under the Local Government Support Fund–Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU).
Rice aid reaches barangays across Merida
The rollout has already covered several communities in Merida, including Masumbang, Mahayag, Tubod, Cambalong, Can-unzo, Puertobello, San Isidro, Libjo, Mahalit, Macario, Calunasan, Mat-e, Benabaye, Calunangan, San Jose, and Lundag.
The municipality has 22 barangays, and the ongoing distribution is being implemented in coordination with the municipal government under DBM-DILG Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2026, according to the Philippine Information Agency.
For residents struggling with household expenses, the assistance offers immediate relief by helping reduce the amount families need to spend on rice and allowing limited income to be redirected toward other daily necessities.
Merida Mayor Rolando Villasencio described the LGSF assistance as particularly important for local governments facing increased demands for public services.
“Malaking tulong ito sa mga LGU lalo na ngayon na nahaharap tayo sa krisis,” Villasencio said, according to PIA.
He also said the additional funding would help local governments respond to the needs of their constituents.
Part of a nationwide rice assistance push
Merida’s rice distribution is part of the Marcos administration’s broader Bawat Bayan Makikinabang initiative, which seeks to channel national government resources through local governments so assistance can reach communities more directly.
The national program was launched in February 2026. According to the Presidential Communications Office, the 2026 General Appropriations Act provided a ₱57.872-billion Local Government Support Fund, including ₱37.492 billion for Financial Assistance to LGUs. A portion of the funding was earmarked for nationwide rice distribution to identified beneficiaries.
In previous program rollouts, qualified beneficiaries have received 10 kilograms of rice per distribution cycle. In Sulu, for example, the Presidential Communications Office reported that 3,000 beneficiaries were scheduled to receive 10 kilograms every two months, or six times a year.
A similar structure was reported in Puerto Princesa, where 16,000 beneficiaries received rice assistance and the program provided 10 kilograms every two months.
The exact number of beneficiaries and total volume of rice distributed in Merida were not specified in the PIA report, however, so those figures should not be assumed to be the same as other local government units.
Why the Merida rollout matters
The program represents a shift toward having local governments play a larger role in identifying beneficiaries and implementing assistance funded by the national government.
President Marcos has repeatedly said the approach is intended to make government assistance faster and more responsive by giving LGUs a greater role in determining local priorities and delivering services to residents.
The approach has already been replicated in various parts of the country. In Tarlac, for instance, 2,100 residents of Gerona received 10 kilograms of rice each under the same program, while in Aklan, more than 34,000 beneficiaries received assistance during the first round of the provincial rollout.
The Department of Agriculture has also emphasized the government’s wider food-security agenda, including programs designed to improve access to affordable rice while supporting local farmers. Separately, the DA has expanded its ₱20-per-kilogram rice program, which is distinct from the free-rice assistance being implemented through LGSF-funded projects.
For Merida residents, the distinction is important: the assistance now being distributed in the municipality is rice aid under the LGSF-FALGU-funded Food Assistance–Rice Distribution Project, rather than the separate ₱20-per-kilo retail program.
From national funding to a sack of rice at home
For families in Merida, the significance of the program ultimately goes beyond the national budget figures.
It is about whether government assistance reaches the barangay, whether eligible residents are able to receive it, and whether a sack of rice can free up part of a household budget for other necessities.
With distributions already conducted in multiple Merida barangays, the municipality’s rollout shows how a national government program is being translated into direct assistance at the local level.
And as the distribution continues across the municipality’s 22 barangays, the bigger test for the program will be whether the promised assistance consistently reaches the families who need it most.
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