Surigao City LGU rolls out rice subsidy in Barangay San Juan
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO, Surigao del Norte (PIA) — To bring government services closer to the communities as mandated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the city government of Surigao delivered a total of 2,438 rice packs to Barangay San Juan residents.
Each beneficiary family received a 10-kilogram pack of high-quality rice, funded under the national government’s Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) Rice Subsidy Program and implemented in close coordination with the provincial and local government units.
Marc Caven Salar, officer-in-charge of the Surigao City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), said, “The distribution process was strictly regulated to ensure the aid reached those who needed it most.
Salar emphasized that the final recipient master list was strictly generated from data provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS).
“By utilizing the verified CBMS database from the PSA, we ensure that our social protection programs are targeted and absolutely transparent,” Salar said.
Meanwhile, Nanay Minda, a resident of Barangay San Juan during the distribution expressed gratitude to the government “Ako po si Nanay Minda, isang residente ng Barangay San Juan. Nais ko pong iabot ang aking buong-pusong pasasalamat sa Pangulo sa natanggap naming 10 kilong ayuda ng bigas sa pamamagitan ng LGSF” (I am Nanay Minda, resident of Barangay San Juan. I want to heartily thank the President for the 10-kilo rice that I received under the LGSF).
“Napakalaking tulong po nito para sa aking pamilya, lalo na sa panahon ngayon na ang hirap magbadyet dahil sa mga gastusin. Ang sampung kilong bigas na ito ay napakalaking bawas sa aming iisipin sa araw-araw. Salamat po sa inyong walang-sawang pag-aalaga at pagtiyak na ang mga ganitong programa ay nakakarating sa aming mga nasa barangay. Ramdam po namin ang inyong kalinga at tapat na serbisyo. Maraming Salamat po,” she said.
(This is a big help to my family, especially now that it’s very hard to fill the gaps between expenses and income. This 10-kilo bag of rice lessens the daily expense burden. Thank you for the unwavering care and assurance that programs such as this reach our barangay. We feel your sincere service. Thank you.)
The nationwide rollout of the LGSF Rice Subsidy Program aims to cushion vulnerable and low-income Filipino households against food insecurity and economic strains.
Through direct resource transfers, local government units are empowered to efficiently bridge the gap between national government funds and community-level relief.
With the distribution phase for Barangay San Juan completed, local officials in Surigao City assured the public that the social service teams will continue their coordinated efforts to roll out the safety net program across other designated areas. (SDR, PIA Surigao del Norte, with a report from CSWDO)
