The Kadiwa ng Pangulo project of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has posted an estimated Php5.3 million in total sales since its launch this year, an official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Saturday.
Director Junibert de Sagun of DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (DA-AMAS) said the total sales from the Kadiwa outlets were from the President-led launch in various parts of the country.
“Ang akin pong data ngayon dito ay para sa Kadiwa ng Pangulo, ang total sales na po natin for 2023, mayroon na po tayong anim na events is Php5.3 million. Nag-Kadiwa po ng Pangulo sa Cebu, nag-Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Luneta, Kadiwa ng Pangulo sa Batangas, ang huli po ay Kadiwa ng Pangulo—ah 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 said in a news forum in Quezon City.
“At iyon nga po ang sinasabi ko very challenging sa mga part ng organizer kasi bawat event tumataas ang sales. So parang wala pong panahon na magtamad-tamad kasi mahihiya ka doon sa huling sales,” the DA executive added.
De Sagun said the principal concept of Kadiwa, as envisioned by President Marcos who also serves as DA chief, is to establish 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,” the DA official said.
With the help of local government units (LGUs), De Sagun added that sellers at all of the Kadiwa sites do not pay a fee for the stalls they put up in the areas.
He also pointed out that their work at the DA is very challenging because they have to strike a balance between serving the farmers and fisherfolk and delivering the 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,” De Sagun said, referring to the availability of cheap imported rice being sold in public markets.
To address this issue, the DA official has appealed to the public and partners to support and promote the locally-made products.
“Sabi nga po buy Filipino so that ang ating farmers and fisherfolk ay matulungan natin sa kanilang kabuhayan,” De Sagun said.
The Kadiwa ng Pangulo is a partnership with the Office of the President, DA, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and different LGUs.#
