The Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (CENPELCO) has opened its own Kadiwa sa Ani at Kita center at its main branch here to connect farmers and food processors to its consumer-members.

In an interview on Tuesday, CENPELCO general manager Rodrigo Corpuz said they are elated to host the Kadiwa center as it will not only help the farmers but also the cooperative’s member-consumers who need not go to a public market which is mostly crowded.

He said the Kadiwa satellite center will be opened twice a month during the billing period, or the duration where consumer-members pay their electricity bills.

“Naisip namin na itaon sa panahong na pupunta sila dito para magbayad ng kanilang bill. Pwede na rin silang mamalengke dito. ‘Yong mga consumer-members nating mga magsasaka may mga tanim na gulay sa kanilang lugar, pwede rin silang magtinda ng kanilang mga ani dito (We thought of opening the Kadiwa when consumers pay their electricity bills. They may now do their marketing here. And for our consumer-members who are farmers, they may also bring their harvest and sell it here),” he added.

Some of the participants during the launch on Monday were the Doyong Farmers Association, Padilla Rural Improvement Club, Cha-del Enterprise, Binmaley RIC Seafood Products, and the Philippine Carabao Center 1 (Ilocos Region).

Other participants were not able to bring their goods for sale due to the heavy rain the night before the event.

Corpuz said they expect more participants to join in the next few days.

He said they plan to operate the satellite center daily as there are people who come to pay their bills even after the payment period.

“We will work out with the city government to waive whatever fees the sellers or vendors are supposed to pay to the city. It would be an additional help to the Kadiwa participants,” he added.

The project, Corpuz said, is also in response to the call of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to electric cooperatives to support the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) program.

DA Ilocos Region’s Agriculture Marketing Assistance Division chief Clarena Mencias said during the launch, CENPELCO is the first electric cooperative in the region that opened a satellite center.

Mencias said the launch last year by Agriculture Secretary William Dar of Kadiwa aims to boost income of farmers with their products made accessible to the consumers. (PNA)