MANILA — Malacañang has authorized the release of a one-time rice assistance for military and other uniformed personnel to help them cope with “the effects of current socio-cultural challenges.” 

Under Administrative Order No. 26, each uniformed personnel in the Philippines is entitled to 25 kilograms of rice as long as “they are in active service as of November 30. 

“The distribution of rice shall be from December 2024 to March 2025, and shall be done in designated National Food Authority warehouses, to authorized representatives… based on a schedule set by the NFA,” the document read. 

“The one-time rice assistance shall be sourced from local and participating farmers of KADIWA ni ANI at KITA or Kadiwa program of the DA (Department of Agriculture,” it read. 

The rice aid is given in recognition of the “vital role of military and uniformed personnel in providing internal and external security, promoting peace and order, and ensuring public safety through the implementation of various programs and initiatives, the Palace said. 

The assistance comes days after the government announced that inflation in the Philippines quickened by over 2 percent as the prices of agricultural products suffered from successive typhoons that hit the country in recent weeks.