CLARK FREEPORT — The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) joined the entire nation in celebrating the 121st Labor Day by participating in the KADIWA para sa Manggagawa event held at the Salakot Pavilion in the Bayanihan Park inside this Freeport.
The event was organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in partnership with various government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), as well as local government units.
The two-day activity kicked off with an opening ceremony led by DOLE Regional Director Geraldine Panlilio, DOLE-Clark Head Jose Roberto Navata, Jr., DTI Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Brigida Pili, TESDA Regional Director Tony A. Tamayo, Angeles City Vice Mayor Vicenta Vega-Kabigting, PESO-Pampanga Provincial Director Len Ordonez, and CDC Manager for CSR and Placement Division Sarah S. Lerum.
The KADIWA event is in line with the call of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to bring consumer products directly from the farms to the laborers. This is aimed at providing local producers with the opportunity to generate higher income through direct sales, while consumers benefit from lower prices.
In her remarks, RD Panlilio reiterated the president’s call to bring the KADIWA to every barangay in the country, saying that “ilalapit ng gobyerno ang mga produkto sa mga manggagawa.”
The event also featured job fairs across the country, highlighting the national government’s efforts to address rising prices and unemployment.
For her part, Lerum, who represented CDC during the event, expressed her gratitude to the organizers for choosing the Clark Freeport Zone as one of the venues for the KADIWA event, as it gives Freeport Zone workers access to affordable and fresh commodities directly from the farm. She added that this would help the workers have more purchasing power while also providing an opportunity for farmers and retailers to access the market where they can sell their produce.
The inter-agency partnership between DOLE, DA, DTI, TESDA, and Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of Pampanga and the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat underscores the government’s commitment to promoting the welfare of the Filipino workforce. Through initiatives like the KADIWA Para sa Manggagawa, the government hopes to provide support and opportunities to local producers and laborers across the country.
