President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian lead the distribution of premium quality Jasmine rice to beneficiaries who are among “the poorest of the poor” during their visit to the National Food Authority (NFA)-Region IX warehouse in Zamboanga City on Tuesday (September 19).

The first area visited by President Marcos was the municipality of Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay where 1,500 poor beneficiaries were given 25 kilos of Jasmine rice each. This was followed by the distribution of 3,500 bags of the high-grade rice to poor beneficiaries in Barangay San Roque in Zamboanga City and in the municipality of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Sur.

The distributed rice is part of the more than 42,000 bags of Jasmine rice confiscated by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which were later donated to the DSWD.