MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced plans to launch 60 new Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores across the Philippines in September. This initiative is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to enhancing food security and making agricultural products more affordable.
According to Philippines News Agency, these stores will expand particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that the project aims to provide accessible, affordably-priced agricultural products to more Filipinos. The initiative includes the P29 program, which offers aging but high-quality rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) at PHP29 per kilogram to vulnerable groups such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino (4Ps) program beneficiaries, persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, and solo parents.
Secretary Tiu Laurel also noted ongoing collaborations with food manufacturers to supply a variety of goods at reduced prices, including cooking oil, fresh fish, and poultry. Talks are also underway to include basic goods such as condiments, sugar, and canned items. The aim is to alleviate the financial burden on Filipino families and align with President Marcos’ vision of affordable food for every household.
The DA plans to standardize operations across 1,500 targeted Kadiwa stores in each municipality nationwide, working closely with farmers’ cooperatives and associations. Currently, there are 17 regularly operating and 230 irregular Kadiwa stores across various locations, including the Bureau of Animal Industry Dome in Quezon City and other sites across Manila, Taguig, Las Piñas, Marikina, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon, Navotas, Bulacan, Antipolo, Cavite, and Laguna.