Marcos wants to expand Kadiwa stores nationwide

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is eyeing to further expand his administration’s Kadiwa stores initiative nationwide in a bid to lower prices of food and other agricultural commodities.

In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos cited the role of Kadiwa stores —an initiative of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to directly connect food producers to consumers to lessen costs— in easing the prices of rice, meat, fish, vegetables, and sugar.

“Napatunayan natin na kayang mapababa ang presyo ng bigas, karne, isda, gulay, at asukal. Malaking tulong ang Kadiwa stores na ating muling binuhay at inilunsad,” the President said.

(It was proven that we can lower the prices of rice, meat, fish, and sugar. Kadiwa stores, which we revived and launched, played a huge role.)

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed food inflation, which tracks price movements in a “basket” of foods commonly purchased by households, declined for the fifth consecutive month in June at 6.7% from 7.5% in May. 

“Maganda ang nakita nating resulta kaya papalawigin pa natin ang Kadiwa sa buong bansa,” Marcos said.

(The results were convincing, that is why we will be expanding Kadiwa all over the country.)

“Ang layunin ng Kadiwa ay pag ugnayin ang mga magsasaka at mga mamimili nang walang iba pang namamagitan, walang dagdag na gastos at patong,” the President said.

(The aim of Kadiwa is to link farmers and consumers, without any other intervention, thereby decreasing costs and prices.)

The chief executive said that so far there are 7,000 Kadiwa stores nationwide, which provided cheaper commodities to about 1.8 million families.

Marcos said that Kadiwa stores generated nearly P700 million sales and provided livelihood to members of over 3,000 cooperatives.

The President cited the cooperation among the national government agencies, local government units and the entire agriculture sector in strengthening the Kadiwa initiative.

Last week,  the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Presidential Management Staff (PMS), and the Philippine Communications Office (PCO) signed a memorandum of agreement on the establishment of Kadiwa ng Pangulo nationwide.

“Our aim is to boost our local agricultural production through consolidation, modernization, mechanization, and improvement of value chains augmented by timely and calibrated importation as needed,” Marcos said.—LDF, GMA Integrated News