Quezon city: The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced its efforts to bolster safety measures and refine the queueing system for the Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na program, which offers rice at PHP20 per kilogram. This initiative follows a tragic incident where a senior citizen died and another individual was injured after a pickup truck veered towards a gutter outside the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) office on Visayas Avenue.

According to Philippines News Agency, the agriculture chief emphasized the department's commitment to improving safety and convenience for the program's beneficiaries. 'We'll see how we can improve. Aayusin po natin at (We will fix it and) for safety, we will put some heavy-duty barriers para sakaling may sumampa, hindi sila maapektuhan (so that if a vehicle drives up the sidewalk, they will not be affected),' stated Tiu Laurel, the agriculture chief.

In addition to safety measures, the DA has also introduced amenities like chairs and electric fans within the BAI premises to enhance the comfort of those queuing. The department is responding to increased demand due to recent fuel price hikes by extending operating hours and increasing the number of cashiers. The selling hours for the PHP20 per kilo rice have been adjusted to run from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., longer than the previous schedule of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To further streamline the process, the DA has launched an online appointment application, allowing buyers to secure their slots without enduring long physical queues.