The Department of Agriculture will establish more ‘Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita’ stores to reach out to more Metro Manila customers and provide fresh farm and fishery products at cheaper prices during the enhanced community quarantine. (Photo from the DA website)
The Departments of Agriculture (DA) and Interior and Local Government (DILG) pledged to adopt improved checkpoint protocols to make sure that food and agri-fishery products do not face delays.
The two departments agreed to adjust the checkpoint protocols at the municipal/city and barangay roads to speed up the movement of cargoes and personnel in authorized establishments such as agriculture and food products, and their corresponding supply chain.
“We cannot overemphasize our battle against the potential hunger this pandemic is posing us,” he added, “So again, we need to achieve a smooth movement in the food value chain,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
The DA has released some 48,000 food passes throughout the country to simplify the checkpoint system but still, delays were encountered in some localities.
Meanwhile, the DA will establish more ‘Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita’ stores to reach out to more Metro Manila customers and provide fresh farm and fishery products at cheaper prices.
“We have engaged Pateros, Quezon City, Caloocan, Taguig, and Pasig in the services of Kadiwa on Wheels,” Kristine Evangelista, DA assistant secretary for agribusiness said.
The number is expected to grow in the coming weeks as more local government units such as Las Piñas, Makati, Pasig, and Pateros, and even Valle Verde and Don Jose Heights subdivisions have expressed interest.
Meanwhile, the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) is giving away different vegetable seeds and planting paraphernalia to interested households in Metro Manila and other urban centers to encourage residents to produce food from the backyard during the enhanced community quarantine.
Glenn Panganiban, assistant director of BPI, stressed the sustainability of this program saying “We are establishing community gardens in barangays with vacant areas so they can plant, propagate, and produce their vegetable requirements.” (Jojo Mangahis)