MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to launch the P20 Benteng Bigas Masterlist (BBM) Registry System, a digital platform designed to streamline the operations and strengthen oversight of the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program, the flagship food initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Developed by the DA-Information and Communications Technology Service, the P20 Registry System will be rolled out as part of the Rice Awareness Month celebration.

“After testing conducted last month, we are now ready to deploy the P20 Registry System, which will ultimately serve approximately 15 million households – equivalent to about 60 million Filipinos – benefiting from the subsidized rice initiative,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said. “This project is a clear example of how the DA can leverage technology to modernize Philippine agriculture and food security.”

Aside from aiding consumers, the P20 rice program also provides a market for locally produced rice purchased at fairer prices by the National Food Authority, which supplies the rice sold to vulnerable sectors.

Since the program’s launch in May, President Marcos has directed the DA to expand its coverage beyond its initial beneficiaries — senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, indigents, and indigenous people — and extend it from 2025 to the end of his term in June 2028. The program now includes minimum wage earners, rice farmers and fisherfolk, tricycle and jeepney drivers, and beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Walang Gutom initiative.

“With this online system, we can now step up the expansion of the P20 rice program to include other sectors such as teachers, security guards, and other transport sector workers like bus drivers and delivery riders,” Tiu Laurel said.

According to DA-ICTS Chief Honorio Flameño, intended beneficiaries can register at designated P20 outlets by presenting valid identification for verification. A QR code will be generated upon successful registration and used for purchasing P20 rice.

Flameño said the P20 Registry System will also be accessible online by December 2025 through platforms such as the eGov Portal, the DA website, and the agency’s Facebook page. “This offers convenience to the target beneficiaries as they can already pre-register anytime, anywhere,” he said.

The P20 “Benefinder,” another module of the system, will facilitate verification of program beneficiaries. Registered individuals may use the P20 Benefinder to generate their QR codes ahead of purchasing rice from P20 outlets.