Bocaue City employees and volunteers sorting various vegetables to be distributed along with other relief goods for their residents during the Luzon-wide extreme community quarantine. (photo from Mayor Joni Villanueva’s Facebook Page)
Cordillera farmers found an unexpected customer in the Bocaue City government in Bulacan, which bought their unsold vegetables as part of its food assistance program for senior citizens and residents.
Since the implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) which limited the movement of goods, farmers from the north have experienced an oversupply of their produce that has resulted in spoilage.
Bocaue Mayor Joni Villanueva said in her Facebook account, “Hindi nila madala ang mga ito sa mga pamilihan dahil sa umiiral na lockdown.(They cannot bring these to the markets due to the on-going lockdown).
“Dumadaing na sa hirap ang mga magsasaka (They are already complaining of hardships.),” she added.
The truckloads of fruits and vegetables, weighing around 13,000 kilos included carrots, broccoli, cabbages, potatoes and sayote from Mountain Province farmers.
The mayor pointed out that fruits and vegetables were bought at prices that are fair to the farmers.
By buying the vegetable produce, the city government not only helped the farmers but also its residents during this time of ECQ. (Jojo Mangahis)