LGU Cagwait, Surigao Sur strengthens PBBM’s food security agenda through expanded rice aid to 1,100 households
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
CAGWAIT, Surigao del Sur (PIA) — In line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s (PBBM) thrust to ensure food security and strengthen support for vulnerable sectors, the local government unit (LGU) of Cagwait in Surigao del Sur continues to intensify its community-based interventions through sustained food assistance programs that directly reach indigent households.
In May 2026, the LGU spearheaded the distribution of rice assistance under the Local Government Support Fund–Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU) through the SAGIP SAKA Program (Republic Act 11321), held in Barangay Aras-asan gymnasium, as confirmed by Cagwait MLGOO Mayonito Ramos of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Accordingly, a total of 1,100 indigent households across the municipality each received 10 kilograms of rice, providing immediate relief to families facing rising food costs. The rice distributed was sourced from the Bitaugan Irrigators Association, highlighting the government’s dual approach of supporting vulnerable families while strengthening local agricultural producers.
The initiative is part of the ₱5-million allocation under the LGSF-FALGU
SAGIP SAKA Program, which seeks to strengthen local food systems while
empowering farmers and fisherfolk, key priorities under the national agenda on
food security and agricultural productivity.
Beneficiaries are set to receive assistance six times under the program,
ensuring sustained support for their basic food requirements and helping
cushion the impact of economic pressures on low-income households.
Present during the distribution were local officials and personnel who
coordinated to ensure the orderly implementation of the activity.
For beneficiary Nelia Vasquez, 62, the assistance brought immediate
relief to her household. Recently delisted from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) after one year, she continues to shoulder the daily needs of her
family, including her four grandchildren who live with her.
Another beneficiary, a 62-year-old tricycle ‘bao-bao’ driver, in a phone
patch interview with PIA’s Domingo Arat, expressed gratitude to the
administration, describing the assistance as a significant help to his family
after receiving rice subsidy under the program.
“Dako na kadayaw ine na tabang sa amo pamilya sa kalisud sa panahon
karon, salamat sa panggamhanang nasyonal” (This is a great help to our family
amid the hardships of today’s time; thank you to the national government.)
The program is expected to further reinforce the province’s drive toward inclusive development, ensuring that no family is left behind in the government’s pursuit of food security and resilient local communities. (NGPB, PIA Surigao del Sur)
