MANILA, Philippines: Farmers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur are now earning double as the price of palay or unhusked rice went up under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s 'Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) program, raising hopes of turning the municipality from a war zone to a rice-producing area, an official of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said.

In a statement, Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Interim member of Parliament Suharto Ambolodto said rice farmers are now selling their palay for more than P22 per kilogram from P13 per kilogram.