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The Department of Agriculture (DA) is scaling up the subsidized rice sale with the inclusion of more beneficiaries and additional Kadiwa outlets in different areas nationwide. On Monday, the DA signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to formalize the inclusion of minimum wage earners in the P20-per-kilo rice program. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA and Dole are targeting 500,000 to 600,000 minimum wage earners by the end of the year. “We have instructed our regional directors to engage with companies in their regions to verify that all worker-beneficiaries of the ‘Benteng Bigas Meron Na’ program are indeed eligible and qualified,” Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said. Tiu Laurel added that the plan is to eventually offer basic commodities to minimum wage earners, including pork, chicken, eggs and vegetables.—JORDEENE B. LAGARE

Source : msn