Baguio: Some 1,500 senior citizens from Barangay Irisan, the largest barangay in the city, benefited from the sale of PHP20/kg rice under the ‘Benteng Bigas Meron Na’ (BBM Na) program on Tuesday. The initiative provides affordable rice to senior citizens, allowing them to purchase it at a subsidized rate.

According to Philippines News Agency, Margarette Tolero, president of the Senior Citizens Association of Barangay Irisan (SCABI), stated that the program assists senior citizens and allows them to experience buying rice at the reduced rate, affirming the program’s authenticity. The beneficiaries were pre-listed, and those unable to attend were permitted to send representatives with their ID cards.

Tolero mentioned that some beneficiaries arrived as early as 5 a.m., prompting the barangay to deploy a medical emergency unit as some individuals experienced dizziness from not having breakfast. She also announced that an additional 1,500 senior citizens would have the opportunity to purchase affordable rice in future events.

In addition to senior citizens, the program also offered 100 bags of rice, each containing 10 kg, for sale to solo parents and persons with disabilities (PWD). This BBM Na activity in Barangay Irisan is the fourth event in the city, following previous events at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the Department of Agriculture regional office, which benefited minimum wage earners, senior citizens, and solo parents.