Bacolod city: An initial 23,665 senior citizens in this highly urbanized city have received rice assistance under the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang, a major initiative under the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program. As of Thursday, a total of 236,650 kg. have been distributed, with each identified beneficiary receiving 10 kg. for the first of the four tranches of rice aid totaling 40 kg.

According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Greg Gasataya stated that the rice distribution will continue until November for senior citizens aged 65 and above who do not receive any social pension. "We thank the national government through President Bongbong Marcos for this program. We hope this will help reduce the expenses of our elderly," he added.

The 23,665 senior citizens were from 14 of the 61 barangays in the city, with Villamonte having the largest number of beneficiaries, at 3,568. Other barangays with significant numbers of beneficiaries include Taculing with 3,502, Estefania with 2,853, and Tangub with 2,331. Additional barangays such as Alijis, Singcang-Airport, and Granada also saw substantial distributions.

The 'Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang' initiative is funded by the Department of Budget and Management through the Local Government Support Fund - Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGUs). Rolled out in February, it aims to strengthen LGUs through increased financial support so they can respond more effectively to the needs and concerns of their communities.