With the planned expansion of Bigas 29 Program (P29) in areas outside Metro Manila, AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee has asked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to include House Bill (HB) 3957 or the “Kadiwa Agri Food-Terminal Act” as a priority measure in the 3rd Regular Session of the 19th Congress.
Under HB 3597, Kadiwa centers shall be institutionalized in every city and municipality to make affordable food accessible to more Filipinos.
“Considering the gains of the Bigas 29 Program in Kadiwa stores as effective venue where Filipinos can access cheaper food, this measure aims to support our local food producers and effectively promote the growth of our agricultural markets. These agri-food terminals serve as a place where local farmers and fisherfolks can sell their goods directly to the consumers and the general market,” Lee said on the sidelines of the 4th Regional Visayas Conference of the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO) in Cebu City on Wednesday where he was keynote speaker.
“In line with the clear direction of the current administration to prioritize helping our agriculture and fisheries workers and make food products affordable, it is clear how establishing more Kadiwa nationwide can be a concrete and immediate intervention to the food crisis we face,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently announced that it was expanding the coverage of P29, which offers rice at PHP29 a kilo to the vulnerable sectors, including members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, senior citizens, solo parents and persons with disabilities.
On July 5, the DA launched the large-scale trial for P29 in 10 Kadiwa stores: Bureau of Animal Industry and National Irrigation Administration in Quezon City; Bureau of Plant Industry in Malate, Manila; Food Terminal Inc. in Taguig City; Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority in Las Piñas; Bayani Fernando Central Terminal and Barangay Fortune in Marikina; and sites in Caloocan, Valenzuela; and San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said they are expecting to offer subsidized rice in 23 Kadiwa stores, plus three more in provincial areas by August 1.
To sustain the supply of the ongoing P29 rice program, Lee also urged the DA to automatically assign National Food Authority’s (NFA) “aging stocks” of rice and palay (unhusked rice) to sustain the subsidized rice program and to cover more areas.
Aging NFA stocks refer to rice that has been in storage for three months and palay stockpiles that have been kept for six months.
“Natutuwa tayo na mag-eexpand ang coverage ng Bigas 29 ng DA sa mga lugar na labas sa Metro Manila. Dapat maging available sa mas maraming Pilipino ang murang bilihin lalo na ang bigas (We are happy that coverage for the P29 is being expanded. Cheaper commodities, especially rice, should be made available to more Filipinos). Our goal is for DA to be able to offer subsidized rice in every Kadiwa store,” Lee said in pushing for HB 3597. (PNA)
