Legazpi: More than 13,000 senior citizens in this city will receive 10 kilos of rice each starting in August under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) Rice Subsidy Program, the local chief executive said on Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Hisham Ismail stated that the assistance forms part of the initial allocation from the national government under the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s administration. "Under the initial allocation from the national government, more than 13,000 of the city's over 25,000 senior citizens will receive 10 kilos of rice each. The allocation for Legazpi will be released in four tranches," he explained.

The LGSF Rice Subsidy Program aims to help ease the financial burden of Filipino families by providing rice assistance to vulnerable sectors. Ismail mentioned that senior citizens were prioritized for this support because many are no longer able to work, lack pensions, and face increasing health-related expenses. "Many senior citizens are no longer able to work. Not all of them receive pensions, and many are dealing with health issues. This assistance will not only benefit them but also their children and grandchildren when they bring the rice home," Ismail noted.

The distribution of rice is scheduled to commence in August. Meanwhile, Ismail also highlighted that the city expanded the number of beneficiaries under the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Social Pension Program after the national government added 550 recipients. This increase raised the number of beneficiaries from more than 3,200 to over 3,700. Additionally, the city government included around 700 more beneficiaries using local funds, further broadening support for indigent senior citizens.

The city government emphasized that the continued rollout of national and local assistance programs reflects its commitment to strengthening social protection measures for vulnerable residents, particularly senior citizens.