00:00Fishermen are still experiencing low catch because of the close fishing season in Palawan.
00:06That's why Richard, a fisherman, is trying to stretch his income to support the 12 members of his family.
00:30They are delighted that Filipino fisherfolk will soon be able to buy rice at 20 pesos per kilo under the Bentem Bigas Merona program starting August 29.
00:53From Palawan, they bring their catch to Navotas Fishport, one of the main fish landing sites in Metro Manila.
00:59That's why seafood here can be bought at a lower price, especially when bought for wholesale price, which can be 20 pesos lower per kilo than its original retail price.
01:08Since the fishport is accredited by the Philippines Fishers Development Authority or PFDA, it also supplies fish to the Isda on the Go program of Kadiwa ng Pangulo.
01:17This gives fisherfolk the chance to benefit from affordable rice during the pilot launching of the program on the last week of August.
01:23The National Food Authority will coordinate with PFDA to serve as the venue where fishers can buy the discounted rice.
01:29DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Meza said that this move is part of the program's expansion, which was first implemented for rice farmers last week.
01:37Each fisherman can buy up to 10 kilos of rice per month.
01:40According to the DA, almost 3 million Filipino fishermen may benefit from the program.
01:45Joshua Garcia from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
