President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday distributed sacks of rice to 1,000 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) at the San Andres Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

This is the first time that Marcos distributed rice to the families and beneficiaries of 4Ps in Manila, following the distribution made in Zamboanga City, Cavite, and Camarines Sur.

Moreover, the distributed rice is part of the confiscated 422,000 sacks of smuggled rice discovered at a warehouse in Zamboanga City.

In his speech, Marcos warned the smugglers and hoarders, saying that such wrongdoings affect the balance of rice supply and prices in the market.

He added that the government is committed to modernizing agriculture and increasing both supply and yield, saying that the government is working to address the challenges that the agriculture sector is battling with.

The president said that the administration will bolster its efforts to prevent smuggling and hoarding, explaining that he already gave a directive to all the officials, authorities, and agencies to enforce policies and laws that are related to the rice issue.