The President also launched the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” in Cebu City following the success of the “Kadiwa ng Pasko” during the Christmas season to provide consumers with fresh and affordable agricultural and fishery products.
The President said he was elated over the expansion of the ‘Kadiwa caravan’, noting that it would not only help Filipinos cope with the effects of the ever-rising food prices but also increase the income of local farmers, fishers, and small enterprises.
The Kadiwa program is a farm-to-consumer market chain that eliminates intermediaries, allowing local producers to generate higher incomes by selling their produce directly to consumers.
President Marcos, who also serves as the concurrent Department of Agriculture Secretary, earlier vowed to extend the Kadiwa program beyond the Christmas season to continue to help Filipinos amid the rising cost of basic commodities.
The President said there are more than 500 Kadiwa stores throughout the country, adding that the government’s plan to launch Kadiwa Para sa Manggagawa will be led by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“We will continue to do this, we will make it more available, we will raise it and we will increase it, more importantly, we will make it available, especially in areas where people are really poor and the prices in the market are not yet affordable,” President Marcos said.
“So this is our answer to what is becoming a crisis in our food with our ever-increasing food prices” the President added.
Mr. Marcos also acknowledged the efforts of various government agencies behind the Kadiwa program such as the DOLE, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the local government of Cebu.
At least 50 exhibitors are participating in the two-day Kadiwa caravan where consumers can buy rice at P25 per kilo, fish and agricultural products, and some of Cebu’s popular delicacies and handicrafts.
