PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday announced that local government units (LGUs) will provide free rice to their constituents through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) by April, as part of the government’s efforts to help Filipinos cushion the impact of rising oil prices.
In a press conference in Malacañang, Marcos said the LGUs would roll out the rice program under the expanded LGSF “within the next week or two.” He said the funds would be released to local governments so they can provide assistance faster.
Under the program, the president said that each LGU would provide at least 50 percent of the LGSF funds for the purchase and distribution of rice to their constituents.
“They can use 100 percent of the fund for the rice distribution but it is up to them. However, it is necessary that at least 50 percent of the funds they receive must be used to purchase and distribute rice,” he added.
Under the expanded LGSF, the president earlier said that more than five million Filipino families will receive 60 kilos of rice annually or 10 kilos of rice for six months every year.
Marcos said the LGSF would also fund health facility upgrades, disaster preparedness initiatives, and critical infrastructure projects, including farm-to-market roads, electrification, and water supply systems.
“This will help lower the prices of goods and increase farmers’ incomes,” he said, adding that the rice aid would reduce household expenses while supporting local agriculture.
The 2026 General Appropriations Act allocated the largest LGSF in the country’s history at P57.872 billion, an increase of P34.87 billion.
It includes the Financial Assistance to LGUs amounting to P37.492 billion, the Growth Equity Fund totaling P11.3 billion, the Support to the Barangay Development Program amounting to P8.09 billion, and the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting totaling P1 billion.
