The Cabanatuan City government in Nueva Ecija has introduced the “Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka” (BBM) rice program, providing rice at ₱29 per kilo to support more than 1,500 beneficiaries.

The program is designed to help impoverished Filipinos access affordable rice.

"Ang paglulunsad ng BBM rice sa lahat ng NIA (National Irrigation Administration) offices sa buong bansa ay isang hudyat na naisakatuparan na natin ang mithiin ng bagong Pilipinas," Engr. Eduardo Guillen, NIA Administrator, said.

"Ito talaga ang vision ng ating Presidente Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. [Ang] admin[nistrasyon] naman, siya ang nag-implement, nag-execute, at kami po sa Kongreso kasama po natin ang Presidente, sumusunod tayo sa vision niya... all out support kami sa kanya," Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Speaker of the House of Representatives, added.

The program not only provides affordable rice but also aims to increase the number of cropping seasons from two to three per year.

This change is expected to boost both rice production and farmer incomes through improved irrigation and clustering techniques.

"Itong contract farming ng National Irrigation Administration ito pa yung makakadagdag, because makakapag-irrigate na kami ng three cropping seasons diba," Engr. Gertrudes Viado, Department Manager of NIA-UPRIIS, said.