The Bago City government, through its Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office (LEDIPO) and the Office of the City Agriculturist, has launched the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center Aug. 15.
Mayor Nicholas Yulo said that Bago is the first local government unit in Negros Occidental to set up its own “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” outside of the Kadiwa that was earlier launched by the provincial government.
The mayor emphasized that the program aims to enhance food production and security by connecting farmers directly with consumers.
This will help reduce transportation costs for producers, leading to lower prices for consumers, he stressed.
More than 40 participants, composed of farmers’ associations and local entrepreneurs, took part in the event.
Their products include rice, vegetables, fruits, processed goods, both food and non-food, as well as ready-to-eat food displayed at the Coliseum during the launching.
After the launching, there will be a regular Kadiwa station at the Marhil covered court in Barangay Poblacion every 15th and 30th of the month beginning Aug. 30, the city said in a press release.
To make it accessible and affordable to the public, products are sold at farm gate prices.
Rice, for instance, is at P25 per kilo, prioritizing those belonging to the marginalized sector, including persons with disabilities and senior citizens. Each person can buy a maximum of five kilos of rice, the city said.
The Kadiwa, which stands for Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita, is a priority program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which aims to empower the farming community and to initiate recovery programs and help revive local enterprises in the localities.
The initiative is also aimed at ensuring food security, delivery of nutritious food and provide access to affordable goods and commodities, support farmers to sell agri-produce, facilitate product regional exchange of one-town, one-product (OTOP), and provide market opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through local promotion.
Vice Mayor Ramon Torres also graced the activity, along with councilors Jake Patrick Torres, Victor Michael Javellana, Carlos Mondia, Femmy Alvarez-Martir, and Joseph Colmenares, as well as city and barangay officials and residents, as well as DTI-Negros Occidental chief trade industry development specialist Engiemar Tupas, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist senior agriculturist Josephiene Fernandez, and Department of Agriculture Western Visayas agriculturist 2 Jenny Babe Torrenueva, among others. ||
