PILI, CAMARINES SUR – His Excellency President and DA Secretary Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. led the launching of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo at barangay Palestina, this town on March 16, 2022.

The total sales during the two-day trade fair amounted to P1,212,074.00 sales – P431,162.00 on March 16 and P780,912 on March 17.

Twenty exhibitors or Kadiwa partners of DA Bicol sold different agri commodities mainly vegetables, fruits, and processed products. Aside from the 10 Kadiwa partners, three farmers’ cooperatives, four MSMEs, and three individual young farmers who sold their food and non-food products, the National Food Authority (NFA) sold rice at P25.00 per kilo, the Sugar Regulatory Administration offered sugar at P70.00/kilo, while the Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) offered fish products.

The Department of Trade and Industry offered Diskwento Caravan participated in by 10 MSMEs. For the DSWD, three beneficiary associations and for DOLE, also three associations including the BJMP Cam. Sur that offered handcrafted handicrafts.

In his speech, President Marcos said that the agri products from the farmers used to pass through many layers adding cost to the produce which is being compounded by the rise in fuel prices. With the Kadiwa ng Pangulo, the government is able to bring the farmers’ produce directly to the consumers at affordable prices.

This Kadiwa ng Pangulo is the first of this kind in the Bicol region – participated by other government agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). “Kadiwa is a strategy of the Marcos administration to provide farmers and fishers as well as MSMEs, a direct market for their products,” said DA Assistant Secretary for Consumer Affairs Kristine Y. Evangelista who accompanied the President.

The Kadiwa ng Pangulo is being launched nationwide by the President to make affordable food accessible to every Filipino. There are 500 Kadiwa stores and on-wheels nationwide and 30 are in the Bicol Region.

DA Bicol Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tornilla said that the Kadiwa ng Pangulo will be conducted by the same participating agencies every 15th and 30th of the month. (Lovella P. Guarin – RAFIS 5 / Photo credit: Eduardo Collantes, Jr.)