Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. has announced a new initiative called “KADIWA sa BayanAnihan,” aimed at easing the financial burden of Filipino consumers by providing affordable food options.
The move builds upon the success of the government’s P29-rice program and seeks to expand access to lower-priced basic goods and agricultural products through KADIWA centers nationwide.
“We believe in the power of the bayanihan spirit. This initiative will not only help consumers, but also provide farmers’ cooperatives and food producers a platform to sell their products directly (to consumers),” said Laurel.
The DA calls on “Kabayani” farmers’ groups and food companies to participate by offering essential food items such as vegetables, eggs, chicken, pork, fish, sugar, spices, canned goods, cooking oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and noodles at wholesale prices.
Profits generated from the “Kabayani” initiative will be used to sustain the P29-rice program, providing subsidized rice to 6.9 million households and reaching an estimated 34 million Filipinos.
A large-scale trial of the P29-rice program is currently underway, with over 12.7 metric tons of rice already sold to more than 25,000 households in the first two weeks.
The DA is confident that “KADIWA sa BayanAnihan” will effectively address the rising cost of food and provide much-needed relief to Filipino consumers.
