The Office of the President (OP), in coordination with the Department of Agriculture in Caraga Region (DA-13) and the DA in Northern Mindanao, distributed assorted vegetables on Friday in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

A total of 1,000 low-income residents from various villages in Sibagat benefited from the distribution of assorted vegetables, a program initiated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The distribution of vegetables also coincided with the 124th Labor Day celebration.

“To better assist farmers, the OP directly purchased assorted vegetables from Talakag Trading Post in Bukidnon and from Claveria Trading Post in Misamis Oriental,” the DA-13 said in a statement.

It added that the President’s initiative not only strengthens the market for farmers’ harvests but also provides immediate food assistance to communities in need.

The local government unit (LGU) of Sibagat, under the leadership of Mayor Thelma Lamanilao, received a total of 17.6 metric tons of vegetables from the OP.

These included tomatoes, cabbage, spring onions, cucumbers, squash, chayote, and potatoes, foods that can help support families’ daily nutrition.

Cerean Escalante, 35, from Barangay Afga, highlighted the importance of distributing vegetables to offer immediate food relief to low-income families in their community.

“Thank you, President Bongbong Marcos, for providing our families with nutritious food and supporting our daily sustenance,” Escalante said.

Mario Cosme, 60, from Poblacion, Sibagat, emphasized the importance of vegetable distribution to ease his burden amid high food costs driven by high fuel prices.

“Thank you, President Marcos Jr., the DA, and the Sibagat LGU. This program allows my family to allocate limited income to other basic needs,” Cosme said.

The DA-13 said the activity was also implemented simultaneously across different areas in Luzon and the Visayas, thereby expanding the reach and impact of the President’s initiative at the national level.

“This measure is part of a broader program of the national government aimed at balancing two objectives, providing a guaranteed market for farmers through the direct purchase of their harvests, and delivering food assistance to communities in need,” the agency added. (PNA)