00:00The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, has granted an exemption for the Department of Agriculture's 20 peso per kilo rice project from the election ban.
00:09This comes after COMELEC Chair Attorney George Irwin Garcia approved the exemption, saying that it is in accordance with COMELEC Resolution No. 11060, as amended by Resolution No. 11118.
00:24The memorandum stated that the Commission approved the request of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tio Laurel Jr. to exempt the rice initiative, which supports the agency's ongoing field operations and rice programs.
00:39The rice program is set to run until 2028 with a total budget of 5 billion pesos.
