Photo By: CDC
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — Minimum wage earners and other qualified beneficiaries working inside Clark Freeport can now regularly purchase rice at ₱20 per kilo under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Benteng Bigas program following the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) on May 6.
The agreement formalized the establishment of a rice selling site at Mangan Tamu inside the Freeport, making affordable rice more accessible to workers without leaving the zone.
CDC President and CEO Agnes VST Devanadera said the initiative directly addresses the daily struggles of workers amid rising living costs.
“This is the opportunity and the challenge to government, especially that we reach out. We come up with programs that will help especially those who are at bottom portion of the organizational structure,” Devanadera said.
FTI Vice President for Operations Mark Christopher Babor said the program is designed to benefit minimum wage earners, solo parents, persons with disabilities, farmers, fisherfolk, and other marginalized members of the community.
Workers welcomed the initiative, citing the relief it brings to their household budgets.
Photo By: CDC
CDC maintenance worker Edgar Mesina said the affordable rice program helps workers save money and manage their daily expenses more effectively.
“Makakatulong po siya dahil mura po yung bigas, nakaka-budget po kami ng maayos sa araw-araw at nakakatipid po kami,” Mesina said.
PDMC utility worker Daniel Espiritu also expressed gratitude for the convenience of purchasing affordable rice within Clark.
“Malaking tulong na po ito bilang isang empleyado at minimum wage earner. Malaking bagay na po sa amin ito,” Espiritu said.
Under the program, each qualified beneficiary may purchase up to 10 kilograms of rice per transaction, subject to monthly allocation limits. During its first day of operation, the site distributed 5,000 kilograms of rice to eligible buyers.
The Benteng Bigas initiative builds on the gains of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Clark launched in December 2025, which previously offered affordable rice during scheduled market days. Through the new system, workers are now assured of more regular access to subsidized rice inside the Freeport. (PR-CDC)