By Prince Golez
The Kadiwa ng Pangulo project has reached more than P5 million in total sales since it opened this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday.
“Ang total sales na po natin for 2023, mayroon na po tayong anim na events is P5.3 million,” Director Junibert de Sagun of DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (DA-AMAS) said in a news forum.
“Nag-Kadiwa po ng Pangulo sa Cebu, nag-Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Luneta, Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Batangas. Mayroon dito sa Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Quezon City sa TUCP, Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Camarines Sur at ang Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Limay, Bataan,” de Sagun also said.
The DA executive said it has been “very challenging” on the part of the organizer because sales increase with each event.
“So parang wala pong panahon na magtamad-tamad kasi mahihiya ka doon sa huling sales,” he added.
De Sagun said the main thrust of Kadiwa, as envisioned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who also serves as DA chief, is to create a direct market linkage between the producers and the consumers.
“Parang binabawasan po natin iyong trading layers. Hindi naman po natin kaaway iyong mga traders kasi kasama sila sa ekonomiya pero binabawasan po natin yung trading layers para po ang kinikita ng mga nasa gitna, iyong iba diyan mapupunta na sa mga farmers at iyong iba naman kung mababawasan ng presyo is mas mura ang pagbili ng mga kunsumo nating mga publiko,” according to him.
Kadiwa sellers do not pay a fee for the stalls they set up in the areas, thanks to the assistance of local government units.
De Sagun noted that their work at the DA is tough because they must strike a balance between serving farmers and fishermen and delivering goods to consumers.
“Siguro po, hindi naman bawal magbenta ng napakamurang imported sa mga palengke. Ang inaano nalang po natin, basta sa Kadiwa ang ibibenta lang pong mga bigas ay mga produkto ng mga farmers,” he said, referring to the cheap imported rice availabile in public markets.
To address this issue, the agri official has urged the public and partners to support and promote locally-made products.
“Sabi nga po buy Filipino so that ang ating farmers and fisherfolk ay matulungan natin sa kanilang kabuhayan,” added De Sagun.
