CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — The government will bring the Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) program in all towns and cities nationwide.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) of various agencies in the expansion of KNP in a ceremony held at the Pampanga Provincial Capitol Grounds.
Signatories include Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Presidential Communications Office, and Presidential Management Staff.
In his message, Marcos underscored that KNP is part of his eight-point socio-economic agenda to ensure food security, reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction.
“The Kadiwa program is very simple. What we do is we bring the market closer to our farmers. This is why we lessen the added cost from the middlemen. In this way, we will be able to sell our products in lower prices,” he said.
It aims to make fresh agricultural and fishery commodities accessible at affordable prices to consumers, and establish additional markets for farmers, fisherfolks and micro enterprises to sell their products.
In addition, Marcos highlighted that the MOA will be a shared responsibility between the agencies and local government units (LGUs) to continue working together to provide cheaper and ample food to Filipino families.
“This [MOA] is one example on how, when we help each other, not only the various agencies of the national government but with our local governments, we will be successful in our plans, and in the programs that we design,” he pressed.
He urged agencies and LGUs to continue their collaboration and partnership to give a comfortable life to the people.
With this, Marcos emphasized that the national government, through the DA, is conducting various initiatives to boost production to sustain the Kadiwa program and maintain affordable prices of basic commodities.
“That is what we’ve been working on in the DA and with all the attached agencies who are helping us in expanding and improving our production of rice, corn, fish, and find a solution to our problem about African Swine Fever, and our problem in avian flu,” he added.
For fishermen, the government provided cold storage facilities near fishing areas to lessen the probability of spoilage of aquatic foods. It is also working on the development of fishing grounds to increase the catch.
Marcos shared that the government is also bent in improving the country’s exports to support local businesses and bolster economic growth.
“We are able to lessen the prices of some of our products, but we have to maintain this while increasing our production. If we have a surplus, we must export. We have to be competitive exporters by packaging our products before exporting them,” he said.
The President pledged that his administration would continue to design programs for the improvement of product packaging; marketing, especially in the digital hive; and buyer-supplier linkage.
During the event, Marcos also led the distribution of various assistance from Kadiwa partner national government agencies.
DOLE distributed a total of P1.38 million worth of financial assistance to 301 beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program.
It has also given a total of P611,000 worth of stipend to 114 government interns under the Government Internship Program.
The agency also distributed 11 Negosyo sa Kariton amounting to P30,000 each; and seven Kabuhayan Starter Kits also amounting to P30,000 each.
DOLE likewise provided P1.2 million, and P1 million worth of livelihood assistance to the municipalities of Minalin and San Simon, respectively.
Meanwhile, DSWD released a total of P1.5 million and family food packs to 500 beneficiaries of its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.
It also handed out a total of P180,00 to 12 beneficiaries of the Sustainable Livelihood Program.
Furthermore, DTI distributed a total of P190,400 to 26 beneficiaries of its Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa program.
A total of P6.35 million was also given to a total of seven borrowers of its micro multipurpose loans.
Lastly, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority provided a total of P68,000 to 26 trainees taking up its Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC I course.
It also released a total of P91,350 to 18 trainees under its Organic Agriculture Production NC II program. (CLJD/JLDC-PIA 3)
